New London — The City Council, still divided on a final budget figure for fiscal year 2017, approved a proposed spending plan Monday that remains unchanged from a previous vote.

In the second of three readings, the council approved in separate 4-3 votes a $46,099,970 general government budget and $42,445,400 in education spending.

The $46.1 million proposed general government budget is an $189,850 increase from Mayor Michael Passero’s proposed $45.9 million budget.

The additional money would pay for two positions in the Public Works Department and raise the tax rate from 39.49 mills to 39.65 mills.

The council voted 4-3 to approve Passero’s proposal to spend $42.4 million for education, more than $1 million less than the Board of Education had requested.

Council President Erica Richardson and Councilors Efrain Dominguez and Anthony Nolan voted against both the government and education spending proposals.

Richardson said she did not plan to vote in favor of a school spending plan until funds were restored, in part to support the school district’s evolution into an all-magnet district.

Councilor John Satti, whose opposition to an increase is backed by many business owners, voted in favor of the mayor’s proposed school spending plan and recommend the school board “take a hard look at how much money is spent in the central office.”

The school board’s request to the city is a 2.5 percent increase from the current year, something School Superintendent Manuel Rivera said he had hoped would be palatable considering the conversations with the business community leading up to budget deliberations.

Taxpayers would fund about a $20 million portion of that request, since the city is expected to receive about $23 million in state funds through the Education Cost Sharing Grant program.

The request would raise the tax rate by about 0.88 mill.

In total, the school board approved a $64.6 million budget, a 0.21 percent increase over the current $64.5 million budget.

In New London, the City Council and mayor do not consider the portion of the school board’s budget that is funded through a mix of state and federal grants.

A public hearing on the general government and school board proposals, along with the Community Development Block Grant Proposed Action Plan, will be held at 7 p.m. Monday at the Science and Technology Magnet High School.

The Board of Finance is expected to make a recommendation on a budget figure prior to the council’s final vote.

By city charter, the City Council cannot increase the budgets beyond what is approved by the Board of Finance without authorization of eight members of the Appropriations Board — which consists of all seven city councilors and all five finance board members.

The Board of Finance can make additions to the budget but they are not binding on the council, said finance board Chairman Rob Funk.

The Board of Finance’s next meeting tentatively is set for May 12.

Funk, who is also the finance director for New London public schools, said he planned to recuse himself from actions on the education budget.

The final approval of the budget, or veto, comes from Passero.

 g.smith@theday.com