AUBURN – County commissioners have denied an appeal by the Poland Community Church for a tax exemption for one of its buildings, a former parsonage.

The commission determined unanimously that a building used for a food pantry and other outreach programs was not a part of the religious use of the church and not entitled to an exemption.

Church leaders had appealed to the commission on April 16, six months after selectmen rejected the request.

“That’s interesting because we have some things in town that are charitable organizations that also have a chapel in them,” said John Laskey, a trustee of the church.

He said church leaders would meet to decide whether to pursue the issue in court. “We certainly haven’t given up yet.”

Poland Town Manager Richard Chick wasn’t surprised by the decision. “The way the law is written, that’s the only way the commissioners could have sided and stayed true to the law,” he said.

At issue is a former house on the property of the church that the church at 1212 Maine St., Poland, has owned since 1948. It officially served as a parsonage until 1981, although the church maintains that it was used for residential quarters for a pastor about two years ago.

The building houses several community outreach programs including a food pantry, thrift store and a meeting room used by a Lions Club. The town has had the structure on the tax rolls since 1993.

The church appealed after selectmen, who also serve as assessors, denied a tax exemption on Oct. 1. The basis for the denial was that the building was being used for other than religious services. The 3-1 vote came after Selectman Lionel Ferland was unsuccessful in asking the board to table the matter until Oct. 15 so he could get additional information. Ferland cast the sole dissenting vote.

State law specifies that church parsonages may qualify for a reduction of $20,000 in tax valuation if the building is used solely as a parsonage.

When the commission considered the issue on April 16, Poland’s assessing agent, Robert Duplisea, said the former parsonage couldn’t be both a church and a charitable and benevolent organization under state law.