Preston — After a lengthy discussion on an attempt to cut nearly $500,000 from the proposed school budget, residents at Thursday's budget town meeting agreed to send the revised school and town government budgets to a July 10 referendum.

Residents rejected the first proposed budgets in a June 12 referendum, and the Board of Finance cut $20,000 from the school budget and $12,000 from the general government budget before sending them to Thursday’s town meeting.

The proposed $11.9 million school budget and $3.84 million town government budget will be voted on at the July 10 referendum, with polls open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Town Clerk Hattie Wucik said absentee ballots will be available starting Tuesday at Town Hall.

Resident Jill Keith started the meeting with a suggestion to cut $491,164 — lower than the usual state-mandated minimum budget requirement — saying the state has provisions for the town to request a reduction in the mandated minimum spending level, since the board has realized more than $800,000 in savings in two different spending areas.

Board of Education Chairman Sean Nugent said it would take a “formal analysis” before the board could determine whether the savings Keith cited would qualify for a reduction in the minimum budget requirement.

Superintendent Roy Seitsinger said one major factor that allows a town to reduce its minimum expenditure requirement is a drop in enrollment. “We’re going in the opposite direction,” he said, with projections for increases in enrollment in the coming years.

Resident Susan Strader and several other residents said they strongly opposed the proposed cut, and said the school budget should go forward as presented. Others said the analysis should be done to see if the savings are possible, including considering whether the town should go to a part-time superintendent.

Keith’s motion to cut the budget was defeated 39-11, and residents then voted overwhelmingly to send the proposed school budget to referendum unchanged.

Resident Andy Depta then attempted to cut the general government budget by $67,000, cutting the second resident state trooper entirely from the budget. The proposed budget includes funding for a second resident state trooper for most of the fiscal year, ending the position when funding runs out.

First Selectman Robert Congdon said the current budget would have enough money to have a second resident state trooper about four months into the fiscal year, giving enough time to have the trooper in the schools for the start of the school year.

Residents offered mixed opinions on the topic that has dominated budget town meetings over the past two years. Keith said residents should enhance neighborhood watch programs to increase safety. Residents quickly voted to cut off further discussion, and overwhelmingly defeated the attempt to cut the resident trooper funds.

Prior to the town meeting, the Board of Finance also voted to use $450,000 from the town surplus fund to help balance the budget, putting the projected tax rate at 26.21 mills, a 0.41-mill increase from a flat-funded budget after adjusting for this past year’s property revaluation that reduced average property values by 4 percent townwide.

c.bessette@theday.com