Another budget season in Wareham has begun with another tough conversation about what the town can keep and what it needs to cut.

Wareham is facing a $1 million deficit going into talks about the fiscal year 2015 budget. At a joint budget meeting of the Selectmen, School Committee and Finance Committee Saturday morning everyone agreed that difficult decisions will have to be made.

"We probably will not be able to increase by another penny," said Town Administrator Derek Sullivan. "I only projected a 1% increase in state aid for both the town and the schools," he said, adding that it's likely the town will need to lay off employees.

The town will also have to deal with required spending increases. For instance, it is currently projected that Wareham's piece of the Upper Cape Regional Technical School budget will be $450,000 larger than it was this year.

Wareham sends more students to the school than does any other participating town, and costs are apportioned on the basis of enrollment.

"Last year we saw an increase of Wareham students, but also a decrease of Falmouth students," Sullivan said, noting that both of these factors resulted in Upper Cape increasing Wareham's assessment by 19 percent.

Selectmen Patrick Tropeano noted that as long as expenses outpace revenue, the town will find itself in the same position year after year.

"It's a lack of revenue. There is no money," Tropeano said.

He went on to say that that one possible solution is a Proposition 2-1/2 override, permanently increasing the town's taxing ability.

"The elephant in the room is if this is going to survive...we need to talk about an operational override," he said.

Selectman Judith Whiteside said the issue is not o money, but very  little money that must be spent judiciously.

"It's not that we have no money, we have a limited amount of money, and we need to make choices," she said.

Everybody seemed to agree that establishing a 5-10-year long-term plan is needed to get on the right track and staying there.

Meeting participants noted that the budget process itself presents difficulties.

The town has a December 15 budget deadline but, although that budget must include the school allocation, the school budget is not due until February 3.

While the committees discussed changing the town charter to align the town and school budget cycles, Selectman Alan Slavin pointed out that any benefit from such a change -- even made in spring Town Meeting -- won't be reaped until the next budget cycle.

The three committees will reconvene after December 15.