A petition to count mobile homes in town as affordable housing, a proposed cemetery land purchase, and a $57.4 million town budget are among the items going before Town Meeting, which will be held on Monday, April 27, at 7 p.m. in the Wareham High School auditorium.

While fixed costs such as employee benefits continue to rise faster than revenues, the proposed budget for next year provides some positives for the town. After two years of nearly $1 million cuts to the general government side of the budget (all town services except for schools), this year there is a $822,583 increase to general government departments.

The budget provides for a $363,565 increase in the Police Department, a $222,432 increase in the Municipal Maintenance Department and a $42,164 increase in the Information Management Technology (IT) Department from last year’s budget.

The Library is also in the budget for an increase, from $125,000 to $177,748. While it is an increase, it is still barely enough to run a library that has already seen its services, hours and staff cut the past two years. Library officials have said that $200,000 represents the current operating costs for the Library.

The proposed schools budget for next year includes a number of cuts. The total $27,134,655 budget is a less than 1 percent increase from last year’s budget. To maintain that figure, the schools will cut bus service to students who live within a mile from school, close the East Wareham School on Depot Street and reduce staff.

Also on the agenda:

Mobile Homes:

A “home rule petition” will ask the state Legislature to categorize manufactured homes in Wareham as “affordable housing” for Chapter 40B purposes.

State law Chapter 40B, designed to encourage the development of housing affordable to low and moderate-income people, penalizes communities in which less than 10 percent of the housing stock is considered affordable -- by allowing developers to avoid local regulations if constructing affordable housing.

Because of Chapter 40B’s definition of affordable housing, Wareham has never met the 10 percent threshold. If the roughly 1,100 units in the town’s mobile home parks were to be considered affordable housing, the town would easily meet the 10 percent requirement.

“Since we’ve had no luck with our representatives getting it done we’re going to do it on our own and see if we can get it done,” said Selectman Alan Slavin.

Community Preservation Act Articles:

Harbormaster Garry Buckminster proposes using $100,000 in CPA funds to rebuild the boat ramp in Onset Bay.

He said installing the new ramp would result in lower maintenance costs than continued repairs to the current ramp.

“I think we have an irreparable ramp right now,” he said.

Buckminster said the ramp would be rebuilt to the same dimensions. He said the ramp was built in 1962, and not much work has been done on it since. He also applied for and received $67,500 in outside grants for the $167,500 project.

School Committee member and High School tennis coach Geoff Swett proposes building three new tennis courts on school property and he has already raised $90,000 in private funding to do so. He said those funds are contingent on $90,000 in matching CPA funds.

The plan calls for the grassy area behind Middle School closest to the High School to be turned into three new tennis courts.

Members of the Open Space Committee have requested $45,000 in CPA funds for the rehabilitation of the Oakdale playground. A Playground Rehabilitation Fund was established at Fall Town Meeting last month to restore existing playgrounds in the town.

Cemetery Land Purchase:

The town is seeking to transfer funds originally intended to pay for repairs to the cemetery storage/maintenance building to help pay for the purchase of new land for the  Agawam Cemetery.

While Selectmen and the Finance Committee overwhelmingly support the measure, a minority of Finance Committee members say the town would be better served by keeping the land on the tax rolls.