Preparing for a worst-case scenario, municipal staff will meet today to begin planning for huge potential shortfalls in next year’s budget.

If the state spending plan for fiscal years 2014-15 is enacted as proposed two weeks ago by Gov. Paul Le- Page, Brunswick could lose more than $3 million in municipal and education funding.

The result would be higher local property taxes, fewer property tax exemptions and circuit-breaker programs and lower allocations from the state as local residents make up the difference in revenue — unless cuts are made at the municipal level.

“We have a staff meeting (Wednesday), where we’ll be talking about the current budget as well as steps we’ll be taking in next year’s budget,” Town Manager Gary Brown told town councilors Tuesday. “I suspect we’ll be doing something … so that we can hopefully achieve some savings.”

Despite the looming bad news, Brown said Brunswick is in good shape for the remaining half of Fiscal Year 2013. With a municipal budget of $54.6 million, $25.7 million, or 48 percent, has been spent.

“We’re tracking right where we expect to be,” Brown said. “Most departments are at 50 percent or less expended.”

He said local excise tax revenue is $36,000 ahead of projections, “which is good because state revenue sharing is running $30,000 below budget.”

School officials face a funding shortage because the governor’s budget proposes flat funding based on 2011 numbers, while the current year’s budget will get $235,000 less thanks to a state “curtailment” LePage enacted in December.

Meanwhile, Brunswick’s student enrollment continues to drop due to the closure of the former Brunswick Naval Air Station.

“Once again this year, we’re going to be looking at additional reductions in education funding because of the student enrollment factor,” Brown said.

Budget forum

A school budget public forum is scheduled for 6 tonight at Brunswick Station, to solicit input from residents about how to plan for next year’s spending.

jtleonard@timesrecord.com