Mattapoisett Selectmen and the Finance Committee met on Tuesday to discuss the 2014 budget. Although several aspects of the budget are still undetermined, Town Administrator Mike Gagne said the town is looking at new revenues in the amount of almost $713,000. That includes a Proposition 2 ½ increase of $565,685. Budget increases are currently at $436,000 over 2013's $21,461,808 budget.

Amongst the larger increases are education costs. Old Rochester Regional Junior High and High Schools current budget assessment has the town owing $120,000 less than last year and Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School seeking approximately $54,000 less. However, special education costs are going up $311,000, leaving the town with an additional $59,000 from the previous budget.

Health insurance costs are also high at $71,000, which is still less than previous years, said Gagne. “This is good news,” he said. “I can’t remember when we haven’t seen a triple digit increase there.”

While hiring is likely to remain static, Selectmen Chair Jordan Collyer does want to push for a new employee added to the Highway Department.

“If we add an extra body, we’ll make that back on the first project,” he said. “It would be the first new employee added in the past 25 years to the Highway Department.”

Gagne said other increases, including $17,800 for town facility repairs and $9,500 for computer services, are needed to cover underfunded areas. “Some budgets are historically coming in low,” he said.

Sippican Week will continue to update budget information as discussions continue.