It seems that we're left to fend for ourselves at this point and we have to figure out a way we can do that (but) there's no way wwe can do it with the current budget ... without decreasing services and significantly cutting budgets.”

Brian Valcourt, Westport Select Board

Town administrator Jim Hartnett went over preliminary budget figures with the Select Board Monday night, warning that after recently receiving preliminary requests from department heads, he believes expenditures this coming year will outpace revenues by at least $690,000, and possibly much more.

"There's not much to cut unless you get into salaries," he said. "There's no flexibility here. We're cutting things as close as we can to see if we can make this budget work."

Though a school budget number has not yet been presented, Hartnett said that town spending could run anywhere from $49.775 million to $50.077 million this coming year, and possibly more once the actual school budget number is known. The lower estimate represents a budget comprised of mostly essentials from the town's various departments, while the higher figure includes requests for additional spending from department heads, apart from the baseline funds needed for salaries and other fixed costs.

Last year's budget approved at town meeting was $48.06 million, but was padded somewhat by using $556,006 in free cash reserves. Hartnett penciled in nothing for free cash this year, which would leave the town $690,613 short in the lower budget scenario and $992,443 in the higher scenario.

For purposes of his presentation, Hartnett based his estimate on the school budget amount approved by the town last year, including 54 percent of the town's projected new revenue. But he said that with the new school, increased insurance and other costs, the district will likely ask for substantially more.

Karen Raus, the vice chairwoman of the Finance Committee, said that is possible. She said the upcoming budget season will undoubtedly be tough, and it's a scenario she and others have seen coming for years.

The town's structural deficit, she said, has been a growing issue for years and began in large part when state aid was cut back in 2009. The imbalance was heightened with the proposition 2.5 limitation on property tax increases. By the time last year's town meeting came, "we were at the end of the road and we knew this was over."

For those reasons, she said, she expects an override budget could be presented by the school department, which if approved would give the schools the ability to raise spending above the cap limit.

"We are planning on presenting an override budget," she said. "That is our plan. We are working with (Hartnett) and the select board to come up with a budget. We do not have any numbers yet for the school but (the budget increase) could very well be $2+ million."

"We've been operating in a structural deficit for quite some time now," select board member Brian Valcourt said. With state aid not what it once was, "it seems that we're left to fend for ourselves at this point and we have to figure out a way we can do that (but) there's no way we can do it with the current budget ... without decreasing services and significantly cutting budgets."

He suggested that, if an override budget is presented, letting Westport residents know how much that will impact their tax bills.

"People want to hear those numbers," he said. "Having hat number (and) being able to present that to town meeting so people understand what the real cost would be, would be very helpful early on."

Though not much new will be known in the coming weeks, Hartnett said he will sit down with department heads and look for ways to trim spending. He said he hopes to have updates by the first meeting in January.