POLAND — Selectmen Tuesday reaffirmed their decision to withhold payment on the town’s $482,000 July bill from RSU 16.

Last month, the board noted that technically it had 60 days to pay the bill and chose to delay payment as a means, according to Selectman Wendy Sanborn, of putting pressure on the Regional School Unit 16 School Committee to act more swiftly in setting a budget.

On Tuesday, Selectman Lester Stevens, not wanting the action to cost taxpayers, questioned whether the town would incur late charges for the delay.

Acting Town Manager Don Gerrish assured him that the law gives the town 60 days, with no stipulation for late charges.

Gerrish added that the board could not put off setting a figure for the year’s tax commitment indefinitely and should get to the business of setting the mill rate for collecting property taxes.

Gerrish suggested selectmen could set the tax commitment based on the amount that school officials want voters to approve and, if the amount eventually approved is significantly different, selectmen could call a special town meeting to make the adjustment.

Selectman Larry Moreau noted that that was why he found school officials’ lack of urgency in setting a budget so irritating.

“It’s messing up our schedule for setting the tax rate,” Moreau said.

Selectmen, with until at least the end of the month to set the mill rate, took no action.

The board also took no action following a brief discussion of the process that would allow a municipality to withdraw from a regional school unit.

Selectman Erland Torrey noted that selectmen had copies in their agenda packets of the section of the Maine Revised Statutes that outline the process.

Gerrish explained that the process was lengthy and, when asked by resident George Sanborn whether it was doable, responded that in the only instance he was aware of, it took the town of Harpswell about a year to put the matter to a first vote, but that the vote failed and the process stopped.

“A lot of people have been bugging me about this. I just want to know if it is doable,” Sanborn said.

In other business, selectmen authorized Gerrish to sign maintenance and operation agreements with the Auburn Water and Sewer District to service the expansion of water and sewer lines into the South Village area, the vicinity of the intersection of Routes 122 and 26.

The board also accepted a number of easement deeds and a ground lease for the mains and three sewer pumping stations involved in the $4.3 million project.

John Cleveland, the consultant managing the project for the town, reported that work is well under way with about 4,000 feet of water line in and sewer line work that should begin later this week, beginning on Route 122 at Empire Road and working out toward Route 26.

The board also agreed with the selection of the color for the tank that will be located on the Poland Spring Resort property, putting its stamp of approval on “Navajo” — a muted green that Cleveland said should blend in as inconspicuously as any.