LEWISTON — Councilors trimmed another dime off next year’s tax increase Thursday night, giving the Lewiston schools a smaller increase in the fiscal year 2016-17 budget.

Councilors made quick work of most of their budget tasks at Thursday’s special meeting, adopting a $68.8 million spending plan for the schools, a $41.4 million plan for municipal services and $2.4 million for Androscoggin County.

Councilors should vote on water, sewer, storm sewer and community development block grant budgets May 3 and on the bonding budget for the capital improvements plan on May 17.

The school budget calls for a $4.09 million increase over the current budget, but it’s less than the School Committee wanted. School officials had called for $192,000 more than the state funding formula requires from the city to pay for a library aide, potential enrollment increases and special education.

The $192,000 increase had defenders. Parent Tina Hutchinson urged councilors to keep the additional money in the school budget.

“People talk about wanting welfare reform and breaking generational cycles, but this will not happen unless we educate children,” Hutchinson said. “Education is the key to the future. Only giving our schools the required local share is sending a message, a very loud one.”

But councilors didn’t hesitate, trimming the $192,000 from their resolution and approving the school budget at required levels, sending the $4.09 million increase on to voters at a May 10 referendum.

Overall, the city’s tax rate would be $27.54 per $1,000 of valuation, up 17 cents over the current $27.37 tax rate — about $3,754 for a home valued at $150,000.

With the municipal share of the tax rate decreasing by 9 cents, the budget for the Lewiston schools accounts for a 22-cent increase on the tax rate. Androscoggin County’s budget accounts for 4 cents of the tax rate.

For a $150,000 home, property taxes will go up by $25.

Combined with the Homestead Exemption, however, property taxes will go down for residents who qualify.

A $150,000 home’s taxes will go down $101 compared to the current year if the owners qualify for the Homestead Exemption. Only the owners of the most expensive homes, valued at more than $753,100, would see an increase in their property tax bills once the Homestead Exemption is figured in.

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