POLAND – Residents will be busy Monday with a cycle of meetings and votes, including a special town meeting, election and referendum, public hearing and special meeting of the Board of Selectmen

The issues: a $13.1 million school budget and new town charter.

Although both issues have already been approved by voters, both ran afoul of state law and now need new votes. The school budget had been first approved at the regular town meeting in April, but the Maine Department of Education refused to accept it because new state rules require towns to get voter approval on several parts of the budget and Poland had voted only on the bottom line figure. The town charter had been approved by voters once, but the state requires a certain percentage of voters participate in order for the vote to count and too few people in Poland showed up.

On Monday morning, in a special town meeting, residents will decide whether to hold a final referendum to approve the 2008-09 school budget. If agreed, the referendum will be held immediately. By state law, voters must approve the school budget twice, once in a town meeting and once at referendum. The budget was already approved during a special town meeting last Wednesday and Monday’s vote will be the last required.

If voters OK the school budget Monday, the Board of Selectmen will hold a special meeting that night to set the property tax rate. Tax bills will be sent out that week and taxes will be due Nov. 1.

Also during the special town meeting Monday morning, residents will decide whether to create a charter commission and whether to elect commissioners that day. If approved, voters will go to the polls, choosing commissioners at the same time as they vote on the school budget referendum.

After polls close at 6 p.m. and ballots have been counted, the new charter commissioners will be sworn in. They will immediately hold a public hearing on the proposed town charter. Later that night, the Board of Selectmen will decide whether or not to put the charter on the November ballot.

Such a daylong series of meetings and votes is unusual. Poland decided it was necessary to get the school budget passed as soon as possible and to get the charter commission on the November ballot – the next time Poland is likely to get a large voter turnout.

All of Monday’s votes and meetings will be held at town hall. Here is the full schedule:

• 8 a.m.: special town meeting to create a charter commission, decide whether to vote by ballot on charter commissioners and agree to a referendum vote on a school budget.

• After the town meeting: residents go to the polls to name charter commissioners and vote on a school budget.

• After polls close at 6 p.m.: the new charter commissioners will be sworn in and will hold a special public hearing on the proposed charter.

• After that: Board of Selectmen hold a special meeting, setting the town property tax rate and voting whether to put the proposed town charter on the ballot during the Nov. 4 election.