North Stonington — As the fourth attempt to pass a budget for the current fiscal year gets under way, the Board of Finance is looking at maintaining the Board of Education budget while asking the Board of Selectmen to cut $250,000 from its government operating budget.

First Selectman Nicholas Mullane said the selectmen will attempt to cut further from the operating budget during the next few regular meetings. The most recently struck-down budget of $18.4 million allotted the general-government budget about $4.5 million and the education budget about $12 million.

Mullane said he is also trying to find a way to extend hours for the Oct. 22 budget referendum to 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. to accommodate more voters. The last referendum’s hours were noon to 8 p.m.

But the town must pass an ordinance to set new referendum hours, Mullane said, and the town meeting on the budget during which a vote could be held is scheduled for exactly one week before the referendum – not enough time to publish new referendum hours the mandated five days before a vote.