ASHLAND — Almost a year ago, Dr. Roger Pelli hung out his shingle to stay and serve six Central Aroostook County towns after they paid for his medical education with their taxes.

Pelli, 39, of Cranston, R.I., technically works for the Aroostook Valley Health Center. His patients pay the center. Pelli’s salary is modest when compared with what he could earn in a large metropolitan area.

Under the arrangement with the towns, the doctor is to pay back the medical education expense outright on a pro-rata basis if he doesn’t remain eight years, as agreed.

Senate Majority Leader George J. Mitchell has introduced legislation to help rural communities recruit and retain physicians and other health-care providers.

Mitchell said he got the idea for his bill from the experience of Pelli, possibly the first recipient of a municipal medical education tax to be paid off in a form of community service.

Pelli began fulfilling his part of the bargain with the communities last August.

Mitchell’s bill would provide federal matching funds to rural communities. The latter would agree to finance the medical education of physicians and mid-level practitioners, including nurse midwives, nurse practitioners and physician assistants. There would be student commitments to practice in the rural areas.

“Since Dr. Pelli’s successful experience, the Maine Office of Planning, Research and Development has had numerous inquiries from students interested in making similar agreements with local communities,” said Mitchell.

“Unfortunately, there are more students interested in such arrangements than there are communities willing or able to make commitments.”

Mitchell’s bill, the Rural Health Care Provider Recruitment and Education Act of 1990, establishes a three-year demonstration program under the National Health Service Corps.

The bill would provide a federal matching grant of at least 25 percent, but not more than 50 percent, to rural towns that make a commitment to fund the training of medical and osteopathic primary care physicians and mid-level practitioners.

States would have the option of contributing to the local-federal match to enhance funding available to students.

Ashland and five other area towns and plantations voted to levy a tax of $5.75 per person for four years to help finance Pelli’s education at the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine in Biddeford.

Pelli serves Ashland, Masardis, Portage Lake, Garfield Plantation, Oxbow and Nashville Plantation with a combined population of about 2,800.

“He’s doing a fantastic job, but he’s overworked,” said Nancy Ferris, Ashland’s town manager. Pelli maintains office hours at the Aroostook Valley Health Center Monday through Friday and on Thursday evening. He “does make house calls in certain situations,” Ferris said. “I believe he’ll stay the entire eight years. He’s building a home here and that’s one more commitment.” Pelli described his work as a kind of love-hate relationship. He said he loved the work and the people of the area, but his schedule was too busy for enjoyment. Pelli said he was looking forward to the arrival of a physician assistant.