East Lyme — The Board of Finance voted Wednesday to approve a proposed town and school budget for 2022-2023 of $80.6 million, a 3.4% increase over the current budget.

The board will now hold a public hearing on the budget on April 25 at 7 p.m. at the high school auditorium.

The board's proposal calls for spending $54.1 million for education, a 3.6% increase, which is $500,000 less than Superintendent of Schools Jeffrey Newton's proposed budget. The board's proposed general government budget of $20.2 million is a 2.9% increase after it cut $205,120 from the Board of Selectmen's proposal.

The proposed budget also calls for spending $5.6 million on debt service and $636,860 on capital improvements.

The board began its deliberations on Monday before completing them on Wednesday.

Finance board members made it clear from the beginning of their deliberations that both the proposed budgets submitted by town and school officials were too high. On Monday, they reviewed the general government budget line by line. The board, however, only has control over the bottom line of the school budget and not individual items. 

Board of Finance Vice Chair John Birmingham questioned the proposed school budget increase during a time when he said the town’s school population is in decline and many in town are struggling financially due to the impact of the pandemic. He noted that surrounding school districts' proposed budget increases are averaging 2.56%.

“We have to consider the senior citizens and people who are not able to work anymore,” he said. 

Board of Finance Chairman Denise Hall said on Monday that the proposed school increase was an “outlier ” compared to other school districts. She said there is a way to balance the needs of the students with residents over the age of 55.

“Our great school system is reflected in the real estate value,” she said. “It’s such a balancing act to try to make sure we are taking care of the young and old alike.”

Finance board members initially discussed a school budget cut of between $625,000 to $800,000.

But Board of Education Chair Eric Bauman said such a cut would have "a dramatic impact” on the school system. 

“I can’t fathom finding that amount,” in the proposed budget," he said.

On Wednesday, finance board member Richard Steel proposed that the school cut its proposed budget by $500,000.

“I was trying to keep the pain parity the same between the school side and the town side,” he said.

To decrease the school budget cut, the finance board members agreed to reduce the general government by $205,120. The board did this in part by delaying the hiring of one of the two new police officers by six months and doing the same with one of the two new firefighter positions.