North Stonington – Voters rejected the $20.8 million town budget proposal Tuesday, sending town officials back to the drawing board for a new 2012-13 budget.

At a referendum Tuesday, 546 residents voted against the $8.3 million general-government budget, while 179 voted in favor of it. The $12.5 million school budget was voted down 509 to 215 votes.

About 20 percent of the town's 3,575 registered voters, or 726 residents (including absentee voters), cast ballots on the budget.

The failed budget was $2.8 million – or about 15.7 percent – more than the current budget. It included a $500,000 increase in school spending and a $2.4 million increase in general-government spending.