POLAND — Voters at the annual town meeting Saturday will decide whether to build a major addition to the Fire Rescue Station and purchase more property next to the Town Hall.

Article 12 seeks approval for a bond, not to exceed $2.3 million, to finance a major expansion at the Fire Rescue Station on Aggregate Road. Depending on interest rates, the total cost for the project, bonded over 20 years, is estimated at a little under $3.3 million.

The Board of Selectmen and the Budget Committee support the project, because the station doesn’t meet town needs.

An engineering and consulting firm estimated it would cost more than $1 million to fix the deficiencies in the station.

The request to consider purchasing the home between Town Hall and Ricker Memorial Library is on the warrant by way of a citizens’ petition.

Acquiring the property would unify town holdings and solve some parking problems, while providing the Poland Historical Society with space for a “memorabilia barn” to store town artifacts.

The vote to acquire the property stipulates a sum not to exceed $180,000, but leaves open how the money would be raised.

The municipal portion of the proposed budget would drop the tax rate from $4.46 per $1,000 of assessed property value to $4.45 per $1,000 of assessed property value.

The amount requested for town administration, at $452,558, is up slightly due to 3 percent salary increases.

A total of $704,155 is being sought for the Public Works and Solid Waste departments, and $831,776 for Public Safety.

Of this latter amount, $547,157 would fund the Fire Rescue Department, with $224,479 for sheriff/police services and $21,500 for dispatch.

The budget for the Ricker Memorial Library stands at $66,565.

The Recreation Department’s total budget stands at $186,844. Program income pays $126,940 of this amount, leaving $59,904 to be paid through local taxes.

Voters will also be asked to raise and/or appropriate $866,319 to fund the fiscal year 2013 capital improvement program. Some $280,000 of this is earmarked for road paving.

Voters will also be asked to approve spending plans for revenues from the town’s Tax Increment Financing districts largely in accord with previous commitments.

Also on the warrant are articles authorizing selectmen to amend the boundaries of the Poland Spring Bottling Co. TIF districts and amend documents governing the districts.

Voters will also be asked to make a number of amendments to the land use code and whether they will adopt the Property Assessed Clean Energy Ordinance, whereby owners of qualifying properties can finance energy saving improvements for their properties.

The town meeting will be held at 9 a.m. Saturday, April 7, at Poland Regional High School. The town charter requires that 100 registered voters be present and that quorum must stand for the remainder of the meeting.

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