"It's time to say no."

That's what Selectmen said Tuesday night about paying for one of the many "unfunded mandates" handed down to the town from the state and federal governments -- regulations that require the town to do something without providing the funds to allow the town to do it.

Selectmen met with Municipal Maintenance Director David Menard and Director of Water Pollution Control Guy Campinha to discuss state and federal regulations on storm water sewer systems.

Menard said the town has 2,340 catch basins to deal with storm-water run-off from roads. According to the regulations, each needs to be cleaned twice a year. He said Municipal Maintenance is only able to clean about 200 catch basins each year.

"Hiring a subcontractor to do the cleaning would cost the town approximately $450,000 annually," Menard said.

Selectman voted to not comply with the regulations unless the state or federal government funds the work.

"We're at a point now where we're on a barebones budget," said Selectman Alan Slavin. "If we start to do this or that, it could tip us over the edge where we fail."

"After what happened on the referendum, we are on a downward spiral to receivership," said Selectman Patrick Tropeano, a reference to last week's failed attempt to raise $4.5 million in additional tax money through an override of the tax-limiting Proposition 2 1/2. In a special election, voters defeated the override by a 2-1 margin.

Town Administrator Derek Sullivan explained that the Selectmen were directing Municipal Maintenance to continue efforts to clean as many catch basins as possible, but that the town would not be spending upwards of $450,000 to meet the regulations.

"When they write us a check, we'll be happy to do this," Tropeano said.

Slavin said Wareham is currently subject to 28 unfunded mandates from the state and federal governments. He said he plans to reach out to selectmen in surrounding communities and to Wareham's representatives in the state Legislature for support on the issue.

"This is what we got elected for, was to make a stand sooner or later," Slavin said.