The $95 million town budget proposal was approved by voters Tuesday. The unofficial vote tally was 1,840 to 965. Fourteen percent of registered voters turned out.

The budget includes $60.7 million for education and $25.6 million for general government. The tax rate will decrease by 1 percent, from 29.3 mills to 28.34 mills.

The 2009-10 budget will reduce spending by about $737,000 from the current fiscal year's budget. While education spending will increase by $1.2 million, or 1.98 percent, general government spending will decline by $301,000, or 1.2 percent, and $1.3 million in capital projects have been cut - 100 percent.

The town also reduced spending by $419,000 in salaries, $120,000 in restructuring health plans, $232,000 in salary and wage freezes, $89,000 in reassigning police officers, $61,000 in reorganization at the library and $34,000 by reducing operating hours at the L.P. Wilson Community Center.

The board of education reduced its original request by $290,000 by using some federal stimulus money to offset spending on special education and a reduction in its health care costs due to favorable health claim experience.

Mayor Donald Trinks said that he was relieved and that he appreciated the voters' support for the budget. "We did everything with the homeowners in mind," he said.