POLAND – Voters will be asked Saturday to raise approximately $7.8 million in local taxes to balance the combined proposed 2004-05 town and school budgets. It would mean a slight increase in property taxes.

The annual town meeting will be held at 9 a.m. April 24 in the Poland Regional High School Auditorium, 1457 Maine St. Prior to the town meeting, local elections will be held at the Town Hall from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Also at 8 a.m. Friday, voters will choose a moderator for the town meeting.

In addition to the several budgetary items for municipal services and public schools, voters will need to decide on granting an easement for a private landowner and floating a $250,000 bond for the addition of the School Union 29 administrative office to the town’s already approved Public Works garage and school bus storage project.

For the Union 29 administrative offices, Poland would front the money for the project and then be reimbursed by the towns of Minot and Mechanic Falls, which also belong to the union.

In a separate article, voters are being asked to give the Poland School Committee authority to negotiate an agreement with the other two towns on the terms of the debt repayment, ongoing maintenance contributions during the use of the town property, and provisions for any of the three towns withdrawing from the agreement.

The easement issue surfaced several months ago when landowner David Duff requested a variance from the Board of Selectmen in order to sell part of his property and meet the town’s requirements for road frontage.

Duff owns more than 30 acres off Girardin Lane and needs a 60-foot wide easement to meet town standards. Duff currently has a “farmer’s road” across Waterhouse Brook and land formerly owned by the Portland and Rumford Falls Railway. The town currently owns the abandoned railway bed and has jurisdiction over expanding Duff’s easement.

Proposed budget items for municipal services would require $3,338,995 in local taxes and $625,296 from other town revenues. Proposed expenditures for Poland Community School and the combined Bruce Whittier Middle and Poland Regional High schools total $5,411,046. Outside commitments by the town add another $896,235 to the total of $9.6 million in expenditures if voters approve everything.

However, $1.8 million in revenue other than property taxes will be available to offset the local burden, according to the Board of Selectmen’s working budget for the 2004-05 year. That would leave $7.8 million to be raised by voters and paid for by property owners. Last year’s tax commitment was approved by the town at $7.5 million.

The budget reflects an estimated total valuation in Poland to be more than $410 million this year compared to last year’s approximately $402 million.

That would still leave property owners with a tax increase of 33 cents for every $1,000 assessed value. Last year’s tax rate was at $18.75 per $1,000 and this year would go up to $19.08 if voters approve all proposed expenditures.

Municipal budget items include:

• $553,796 for general government operations.

• $182,742 for the Recreation Department.

• $1,100 for beach maintenance.

• $2,500 for Thompson Lake Environmental Association’s Youth Conservation Corps.

• $889,783 for debt services.

• $809,504 for public safety.

• $180,000 for reserve accounts.

• $10,910 for health and human services.

• $45,000 for Ricker Memorial Library.

• $822,378 for highway and bridge maintenance.

• $30,000 for a Fire and Rescue Department vehicle.

• $34,500 for Public Works Department vehicle.

• $96,000 to replace a plow truck.

• $40,000 for road reconstruction reserves.

• $266,078 for solid waste services.