WEST PARIS – Selectmen decided Thursday to increase town land values to bring them into line with state requirements.

Town Manager Donald Woodbury said the state requires that property values be as near to 100 percent of fair market value as possible. Towns not in compliance can be penalized in their state aid reimbursements.

“We are supposed to have property values close to 100 percent,” said Woodbury, “and our values at this time are below 70 percent. This affects state reimbursements such as homestead exemptions, tree growth and other state aid in funding so we need to bring our property values up.”

He said the increase considered by selectmen would double current values.

“The issue will be studied further before a final amount is set but I believe doubling will probably be the way they will have to go,” he said.

“The plan now is to have another town-wide property revaluation in 2008,” he added.

In other business selectmen discussed transfer station rules. They plan to add to fees for demolition debris and tires and to no longer accept tires still mounted on rims.

“We have to pay by the ton to dispose of tires and tires with rims add a great deal of weight bringing our costs up considerably.

Also the cost of hauling and tipping fees for demolition debris is going up when you consider it has to be hauled halfway across the state to reach a landfill where it can be unloaded,” said Woodbury.

The issue will be revisited later to set the fees.

Chairman Bill Birney was reelected as chairman for another year.

Birney is beginning his second three-year term.