MEXICO — The proposed 2015-16 municipal budget for Mexico passed easily at the polls Tuesday.

Town Clerk Penny Duguay said the 418 voters approved all the articles and ordinances by large margins, with the closest one being 248-163 for the town’s recreation program.

The municipal budget is $3.05 million, compared to $3.03 million last year, an increase of $14,280.

However, with the town’s share of the school budget down $26,334 and the share for the county budget down $4,410, the total town budget has decreased by $7,644 from last year.

Town Manager John Madigan noted that the biggest increases were in Med-Care Ambulance at $13,000, as the per capita went from $18 to $24, and hydrant rental, up $19,000.

The total recreation budget is down $8,158. The cost for the recreation building is down $7,900 by switching around the help, but the rec park and program budget went up by around $9,000 total. The reserve account went down $10,000.

Public safety was up $23,747. Much of that was an increase of $6,000 for street lights and the projected rate increase for hydrant rental.

The unclassified account was down $4,500 because selectmen voted not to fund the River Valley Growth Council and the River Valley Chamber of Commerce.

Madigan said the total public works budget is down $72,800 and solid waste is down $1,780.

He said general insurance to the town went up $6,500, but the total administration budget is down $5,173.90.

Outside requests approved by selectmen went down from $2,450 last year to $2,200.

In the elections, Selectman Richie Philbrick, who ran unopposed, won another three-year position. No one ran for the three-year post on the Regional School Unit 10 Board of Directors as incumbent Peter Zanoni did not seek re-election. Duguay said 10 different people garnered write-in votes, but no one with more than two votes.

bfarrin@sunmediagroup.net