Old Rochester Regional District officials lowered their fiscal year 2017 budget proposal after hearing that tri-town leaders are grappling with their own fiscal difficulties, but it’s still too high for Rochester.

At a budget subcommittee attended by finance committee members, Selectmen, town administrators and school committee members from all three towns, officials agreed to further discuss the new budget before taking action.

The district released a new draft budget totaling $17.5 million that includes funding for new teachers, a guidance counselor coordinator and special education program. That figure marks a 2.9 percent increase over this year’s budget.

Rochester Selectmen Chair Rich Nunes said there’s not enough new revenue coming into town to support municipal and school needs. He said town departments have been level funded for the past several years, and school officials should tighten their belts.

“This is an example of not living within your means,” Nunes said. “The three towns have to balance their budgets each year.”

He added that administrators have used funds from its Excess and Deficiency account, essentially a savings fund created by surplus money, to meet shortfalls each year.

Rochester Finance Committee Chair Kris Stoltenberg said the town only has $400,000 to divvy up between the schools and town departments. Currently, Rochester’s portion of the school budget would amount to $270,000.

“We don’t have $270,000 to give ORR and still run the town,” Stoltenberg said. “This is truly a difficult budget. It’s pretty drastic.”

Mattapoisett Town Administrator Mike Gagne said more debate was needed at the town level before a decision on funding can be made.

“I think we need to locally deliberate how we’re going to approach this,” Gagne said. He recommended a timeline of 10 days before the subcommittee meets again.

The public will have a chance to weigh in on the ORR budget Monday, March 21 at 6 p.m. during a public hearing to be held in the junior high school’s media room.