OLD SAYBROOK - By a 2-to-1 margin, town voters approved both the town general government budget of $15,271,584 and the schools budget of $21,562,983.

In a light turn-out, 605 votes were cast in favor of the town government budget while 328 votes were against it. On the schools budget question, 625 voters supported the proposed spending plan while 312 opposed it.

"The town continues to realize we have a good, strong handle on our finances and that we can still deliver a high quality of services while being financially responsible," said First Selectman Michael Pace after the vote was announced. "We can continue to be a progressive town and be fiscally responsible; those terms are not mutually exclusive."

A total of 948 voters and property owners cast ballots in this referendum which represents about 12 percent of the 7,633 town voters currently registered.

After the votes were counted, the town's Board of Finance met to set the new mill rate for the next fiscal year. The new rate will be 13.99 mills per $1,000 of assessed property value.

The new tax rate reflects savings the town realized in health insurance due to the switch from Anthem Blue Cross to Cigna, but also reflects a revenue loss in conveyance tax. The State Legislature failed to act before this spring's session ended in May to extend a law that has given Connecticut towns for several years a one-quarter of a percent revenue bump of the value of each real estate property conveyance.