POLAND – Poland voters on Monday crammed 12 months worth of government into 12 hours.

In a marathon day of special meetings and votes, residents gave final approval to a $13.1 million school budget, elected a charter commission and received their new property tax rate.

“I’ve said before today needed to go like Swiss clockwork,” Town Manager Dana Lee said. “It did.”

At issue Monday: The 2008-09 school budget and a new town charter. Both had already been approved by voters months ago, but each ran afoul of state law and had to be voted on again.

To satisfy state requirements and town needs, those new votes had to happen Monday.

The day started at 8 a.m. with about three dozen people in a special town meeting. Meeting participants agreed to hold a referendum on the school budget, to create a charter commission and to elect commissioners – all that day.

Polls at town hall opened immediately.

More than 220 people trickled in throughout the day, voting on the school budget and electing six people to the charter commission. Some voters said they just happened by town hall and remembered there was a vote. Others turned out specifically for the budget or charter commission.

Barry Kutzen said he had to go to town hall anyway, but he trekked downstairs to vote because he wanted to help pass the school budget.

“I think it’s what we need to do,” he said.

Kutzen wasn’t alone in his support. The budget passed by a vote of 139-86.

Voters also elected charter commissions. They are: Norman Beauparlant, William Eldridge, Paul Harrison Jr., John Merrill Sr., Patricia Nash and Ernest Ray. All except Merrill had served on the commission when the proposed charter was first – but not officially – approved months ago.

The commissioners were sworn in as soon as the ballots were counted Monday evening and, minutes later, the new commission held a public hearing. Three people spoke, Lee said. All three supported the proposed charter.

Right after that – about 12 hours after the morning town meeting that started the whole thing – selectmen held a special meeting of their own. Members ordered the charter placed on the November ballot and set the property tax rate.

Poland’s tax rate will now be $22.90 per $1,000 of valuation, $1.60 per $1,000 less than the old rate. A homeowner with a house valued at $100,000 will save about $160 a year.

Such a daylong marathon of meetings and votes is unusual, but town leaders felt like they had little choice.

The school budget had been 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 in June, 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.

Town officials decided they needed to get the school budget passed as soon as possible since the school year had already started and since the town badly needed to set a budget so it could establish a tax rate and send out the fall tax bills. They decided to get the proposed charter on the November ballot because the upcoming presidential election is the next time Poland will get a large enough voter turnout to make any charter vote official. Monday’s meetings and votes allowed the town to get everything done.

Property tax bills are expected to be sent out this week. Taxes will be due Nov. 1.

Residents will vote on the proposed charter on Nov. 4.