AUGUSTA – Rep. Rodney Jennings, D-Leeds, will host informational meetings in Leeds and Livermore on the Maine Residents Property Tax and Rent Refund Program, to give individuals an opportunity to find out how much money they may save through the newly expanded program.

Residents of Livermore and Livermore Falls are invited to a workshop to take place from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 29, at the Livermore Town Hall. Residents of Leeds are invited to a workshop from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 31, at the Leeds Town Hall. Plans for a workshop in Wayne are under way.

More than 200,000 Maine people are now eligible, as a result of the property tax relief plan passed by the Maine Legislature in January. The tax and rent refund, or circuit breaker, program’s maximum benefit was doubled, increasing the total available benefit to $2,000 and eligibility for the program was expanded significantly.

“More people than ever before qualify for the program thanks to expanded eligibility requirements, and I hope everyone will come to the workshops to see whether they can save money on their taxes,” Jennings said.

Staff from the Maine Revenue Service will help with the form, and they encourage those attending to bring their 2004 income tax form and property tax or rent information, to accelerate the process.

To qualify for a refund, the property taxes paid by a household in 2004 must exceed four percent of that household’s income, or the yearly rent paid must be greater than 20 percent of the household’s income. Homeowners and renters must meet the newly expanded income eligibility requirements to receive a benefit. Families earning up to $100,000 would be eligible, as well as individuals earning up to $75,000.

Applications will be available at the meeting. To receive an application through the mail, call Maine Revenue Service at 626-8475. Applications for the circuit breaker program must be filed between Aug. 1 and May 31.

Additional applications are available at municipal offices or online at www.maine.gov/revenue. The applications may be filed online, by Maine Revenue Service’s Fastfile system, or by mail.