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PLAINVILLE - The biggest issue facing Plainville for the coming year is, once again, the budget.

While the numbers aren't firm yet, Town Administrator Joseph Fernandes said the picture looks grim.

"Obviously it's not good, and I don't know that anyone knows definitively," he said.

The final numbers will hinge on two factors, he said: State aid and local receipts, such as excise tax and investment income.

Fernandes has sent out budget worksheets to all town departments with a directive to submit a maintenance of effort budget indicating what is needed to keep current levels of service. The replies are due by the end of the month. At that point, the town will have a better idea of the financial quandary it faces. Fernandes called it a matter of "staying afloat."

"That's the absolute best we can hope for," Fernandes said of a level-service budget. "And I don't think that's going to happen."

Town officials agree that another Proposition 2 1/2 override to mitigate the fiscal crisis - such as the $650,000 override that passed by just 10 votes in 2008 - is unlikely.

"Given that (residents) are hurting as bad, if not worse, than towns are, it's really hard to think we could shift our burden on top of theirs," Fernandes said.

Selectman Robert Fennessy agrees.

"I think the townspeople really stepped up last time, and I don't think we can go to that well again without making drastic cuts," he said.

Fennessy said the town will likely be cutting expenses with the least impact on public safety and essential services, cutting part-time positions and then digging into full-time spots.

Among the other goals for the coming year is the proposed work by the Redevelopment Authority to revitalize the delapidated downtown area. The board has already created a new set of zoning bylaws for downtown to be voted on at the annual town meeting.

The town also will look to fill the position of permanent police chief. Chief Edward Merrick retired Dec. 31, and Lt. James Alfred has been named interim chief. Selectmen have voted to open the pool of candidates outside the current force.

Another potential project is the public safety and municipal building the town hopes to build. Preliminary plans have been drawn up but town meeting will vote on whether to authorize architectural work. Fennessy said he hopes the town will take a proactive stance on the project rather than waiting until already cramped quarters become uninhabitable.

"At some point, we're going to be in a position where we're going to have to build something," he said.

But, like many issues the town faces, he said it all comes back to the budget, making the project a "difficult sell."

Selectwoman Andrea Soucy says the town is in "survival mode."

"It's really sad when your dream is to maintain current levels of services, which have already been slashed over the years," Soucy said. "We're not just cutting into the bone, we're amputating limbs."

LAUREN CARTER can be reached at lauren-carter@hotmail.com.