Preston — The Board of Selectmen made minor adjustments to the $3.9 million town government budget Tuesday before submitting it to the Board of Finance this week for review.

The budget approved Tuesday totals $3,918,082, an increase of $59,442, or 1.54%, over this year's budget total. It contains no new staffing and raises of 2% to current town staffing.

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, town officials delayed the formal budget process by one month, setting May 7 as the date the selectmen and education boards were required to submit proposed budgets to the Board of Finance.

The Board of Education last month approved a $12.6 million requested school budget, with a $585,715, or 4.87%, increase over this year’s budget.

While Preston had hoped to hold a regular, in-person public hearing, town meeting and referendum, First Selectwoman Sandra Allyn-Gauthier told the board during Tuesday’s meeting that she will place an item on the May 14 Board of Selectmen agenda to authorize the Board of Finance as the town’s budget authority to make the final budget decision. Gov. Ned Lamont issued an executive order in April allowing cities and towns to forego in-person public hearings, town meetings and referendums to set their budgets due to the pandemic.

The preliminary budgets will be posted on the town’s website, and the Board of Finance will accept emailed public comments throughout the deliberation process. The board will hold a teleconference budget workshop May 13 to discuss the town government budget and on May 14 to discuss the proposed school budget.

c.bessette@theday.com