LEWISTON — Voters approved a proposed $117.68 million budget by a thin margin Tuesday, 811-797.

The referendum drew 1,608 residents out to the Governor James B. Longley Elementary School, representing 6.7% of eligible voters in the city — though it was less than last year, which saw more than 2,000 voters.

School administrators and committee members were able to avoid a repeat of last year’s budget struggles, which required them to rework the budget twice before voters were satisfied enough to approved it on a third vote in July.

The budget increases the city’s mill rate by 29 cents, according to Superintendent Jake Langlais.

The local share of the budget is $31.3 million, while the state subsidy is $70.6 million, not including other state funds the district usually gets amounting to more than $80 million, according to Langlais.

Last year, administrators and committee members drew a lot from the fund balance to reduce the local share of the school budget to get it passed. But this year they reduced the use of those funds by roughly 36.7%, according to Langlais.

Residents overwhelmingly voted to continue the referendum process that allows the public to vote on the school budget.

In a nonbinding advisory question gauging whether people felt the budget was too high, acceptable or too low, the majority of voters felt the budget was too high, by a vote of 815-465-301, respectively.

Langlais said he is pleased with the results, noting that the information in the nonbinding advisory question is helpful to administrators.

“We will be able to maintain the efforts in place, continue to grow our special education programming to deflect high costs associated with out-of-district tuition and continue to see our outcomes improve,” he said, adding, “Go blue.”

Mayor Carl Sheline was happy to hear the news of the budget passing, saying, “thank you, Lewiston.”