The Southwest Mercer County Regional Police Commission accepted A 2004 proposed budget Thursday, but it may be tweaked before it's finally approved by Farrell, Wheatland and West Middlesex.

According to the proposed spending plan, the assessment for Farrell is $881,895, which is $41,995 more than this year; Wheatland is $91,875, up $4,375; and West Middlesex is $99,120, up $4,720.

Commission Chairman James DeCapua said the major increases in expenditures are for workers' compensation, which rose from $41,000 to $52,700, and for employee hospitalization, which rose from $180,360 to $211,482.

That represents a 20 percent rise in insurance costs.

"It would have been substantially more if we hadn't removed the premiums for dental and vision," DeCapua said. "The budget is as tight as can be on the expenditure side."

He said adjusting the carryover/other income account may help free up about $12,000.

Southwest employs 14 full-time policemen, including Chief Riley Smoot, and eight part-timers. Twenty patrolmen patrol the three municipalities.