A pair of school budgets totaling more than $83 million in spending will go before Lewiston and Auburn voters Tuesday.

The separate, citywide votes aim to end tough budget seasons for local school leaders. In both cities, proposals avoided hiking taxes.

In Auburn, the $34.1 million budget represents a spending drop of $9,304 that includes $39,317 less in local property tax money and a state revenue decline of more than $107,000.

“To go deeper would begin to compromise the quality of our programming,” said Tom Morrill, Auburn’s superintendent of schools.

The budget also sits nearly half a million dollars below the state’s school funding standard, known as Essential Programs and Services.

Does it cut to the bone?

“We’re already there,” Morrill said Friday. “We’ve examined and transferred and cut back.”

In Lewiston, the $49.6 million budget proposal includes more than $33.7 million in state funding, an increase in state money.

“We raised the minimum amount that the city must raise to receive its share of state money,” said Leon Levesque, Lewiston’s superintendent of schools.

Most of the state’s $3.5 million increase in aid will be directed to the new Geiger Elementary School, slated to open this fall.

Leaders in both cities hope for the largest possible turnout for only the second year of the state-mandated votes. Morrill and Levesque worked to schedule the votes on the same day to better publicize the events.

The questions on each city’s ballot are almost identical, asking voters if they wish to pass the city-council-approved budgets.

Each is a simple yes-or-no question. A simple majority is needed for passage.