Former Mexico Police Chief James Theriault, right, has been hired by Mexico as chief administrator of records, evidence and inventory for a period of one year, starting Aug. 19. Selectman Richard Philbrick, left, stands beside Theriault at the Aug. 13 information session about the police department. Bruce Farrin/Rumford Falls Times

MEXICO — Residents voiced more questions Tuesday about the town’s idle Police Department during the Select Board meeting.

The main concern was the compensation being made to former police Chief Jim Theriault, recently employed as chief administrator of records, evidence and inventory for one year starting Aug. 19. Theriault was hired after police Chief Roy Hodsdon, who had been slated for Theriault’s role, resigned effective Aug. 13.

Town Manager Raquel Welch-Day said Theriault is “making $40 an hour for 40 hours a week and he’s here for a year … We need somebody to handle the administrative stuff until we get back up and rolling. We have state mandates that we have to follow. We have legal things that we have got to do to make sure that evidence and files and everything are kept correctly.”

Fire Department Lt. Jamee Theriault said, “Technically, he can’t do any cop duties, so he’s getting paid $40 an hour to be a secretary.”

Fire Department Deputy Chief Allen Chartier added, “Sounds like a lot. Could you have a certified police officer?”

Welch-Day responded, “We can’t have a certified police officer in that role or Oxford County won’t respond to our calls.”

When asked if anyone else could perform that duty, she said, “No, because it has to be somebody with the knowledge of what to do with that stuff. They’ve got you over a barrel.”

Selectman TJ Williams noted, “And the other thing is he’s going to work on helping find replacements for our officers. So it’s more than the piece of handling police records and evidence. It’s also including recruitment.”

Williams said the next Maine Criminal Justice Academy session started Aug. 20, “which means that if we have someone who wants to come in and go to the academy, they’re going to have to wait until January to do so for the 18-week course. So if we find someone we’d like to hire who needs to go to the academy, the year timeline is perfect for when they would be done with the academy.”

He added, “Yes, it’s a lot of money, but we’re not spending any more for officers and we really need the help to make sure everything up there is locked up and taken care of, and help us with the recruitment efforts. And Jim is a great asset to have for that.”

Welch-Day said the agreement with Theriault does not include any benefits and there is no contract.

Former Selectman Cliff Stewart asked what would happen in the spring if no officer prospects emerge.

“I would think you would present the legislative body, the residents of Mexico, with options,” Stewart said. “One option being a full-time police force at one end of the spectrum. Another option being Peru’s model (coverage by Oxford County Sheriff’s Office), and then two or three options in between in cost, so that we can vote on it and make a decision, instead of you guys unilaterally making it.”

Welch-Day responded that the town’s budget for the officers alone, not including the building, is $639,667. The cost for Oxford County Sheriff’s Office coverage would be $716,250.

Selectman Richard Philbrick pointed out that sheriff’s coverage would involve one deputy at a time. “If there were two, it would be almost a million dollars.”

When Welch-Day was asked again about the future without officer prospects, she said, “If we go out further, we’re going to have to look at Oxford County, at the very least.”

She noted that the town has already received some inquiries from people interested in joining the police force.

“I don’t know how many highly qualified people there are. Some looked like they may have been an officer before, and then did something else,” Welch-Day said. “I don’t know if anyone has seen the integrity paperwork they have to fill out, but there’s a lot to that. There’s a lot of things in there that can knock someone out who might actually look like a decent candidate.”