Preston — Voters on Tuesday approved both the $11.6 million 2017-18 school budget and $3.39 million town government budget, completing the budget process with the hope of mailing the tax bills by July 1.

Voters approved the school budget 349-246, and the town budget by a vote of 409-182, the 596 voters representing a nearly 20 percent voter turnout.

"I'm thrilled," Board of Finance Chairman Norman Gauthier said. "It was difficult in that we had the big question mark in not having the state budget."

Town officials delayed the budget process by about a month this spring, hoping to learn more about state revenues. But the state legislature has yet to complete its budget, leaving town budget officials to guess at which unpopular proposals by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy would be rejected and which ones could be approved.

Last year, voters twice rejected the proposed school budget before approving it in late July, leaving tax bills one month behind schedule.

The entire 2017-18 combined town government, school, debt service and capital budgets total $16 million.

The Board of Finance will meet at 7 p.m. Wednesday to set the final tax rate. The board calculated the tax rate at 24.2 mills in May, a 0.45-mill increase over this year's tax rate. The calculation included using $296,000 from the town's surplus fund to offset part of the spending increase.

This year, after residents spoke in favor of partially restoring funds cut from the school budget at a budget public hearing, the Board of Finance added $80,000 to prevent the loss of after-school programs and elementary school Spanish.

In the town budget, the Board of Finance cut one of the town's two resident state troopers. And while residents also asked the finance board to restore the trooper, the finance board sent the budget with one state trooper to the referendum. Finance board members said they could revisit that in the future, if necessary.

c.bessette@theday.com