Groton — Mayor Bruce Flax says the Town Council can't cut much more from town services or it won't have a town left.

Nor can the council raise taxes, or it'll be voted out of office, he told a joint meeting of the council and the Board of Education on Tuesday. "If the tax rate goes up a certain percentage, we're not going to be here in two years," he said.

The council and board met jointly to discuss the upcoming budget. The current fiscal year's budget of about $121.6 million represented a 3.3 percent spending cut from the prior year, but general government departments took the brunt of the losses.

Some departments were hit particularly hard. The Department of Public Works' budget fell from about $6.6 million in the 2015-16 fiscal year to about $6 million in the 2016-17 fiscal year — a 9.2 percent decline.

Parks and Recreation suffered an 8.4 percent drop in funding, from about $1.8 million in the 2015-16 fiscal year to about $1.6 million in the 2016-17 fiscal year.

Public safety also took a hit. The police department budget fell from about $6.9 million in the 2015-16 fiscal year to about $6.7 million in the 2016-17 fiscal year, a cut of 3.2 percent.

"There's only so much we can do with the town side of things before we have no town," Flax said. The Board of Education also must search for efficiencies, he said.

Education accounts for 62.9 percent of the total town budget, according to Finance Director Cindy Landry.

Town Manager Mark Oefinger said he hears people say they've seen no change in town services, so he plans to explain exactly what services were lost. "We're going to point them out," he said.

Deep cuts to the town may increase pressure on the school department to cut and find savings this year. Superintendent Michael Graner said he expects 19 teachers to retire, which should result in savings. The district also has 52 fewer children attending magnet schools this year, which saves on tuition for those students, he said.

Graner estimated the tuition savings, which include special education services for 17 students choosing to attend schools outside the district, at roughly $750,000.

Graner said the schools will also achieve savings in administration, secretarial services and custodial services under the school building plan.

Voters just approved a $184 million referendum to build one new middle school and convert the existing two middle schools into elementary schools. Three older schools would close.

Councilor Greg Grim said savings achieved by consolidating schools should be returned to the town to lower the tax rate.

Town administrators begin meeting with department heads in January to discuss the budget for the coming fiscal year. The town manager's proposed budget is due to the council by March 15.

d.straszheim@theday.com