Local registrars say closely mirrored the number of voters who turned out for the first failed referendum two weeks ago today.voting for the second round town and school budgets

Polling officials said at 6 pm Tuesday, 3,487 ballots were logged, just 66 more than at the same time during the first round of voting on April 23. Qualified residents can report to Newtown Middle School to cast budget ballots until 8 pm.

After deliberations April 30, the Legislative Council endorsed a second round budget request with a combined $900,000 reduction, making the new school district request $71,345,304 and the municipal request $38,904,521. The municipal side of the budget includes all previously committed debt service costs for all town and school capital projects equaling $10,058,924.

The council action made the bottom line on the second-round request $110,249,825, representing a 3.87 percent increase in spending over the current year.

If approved, the increase will generate a 2013-14 mill rate of 33.43, reflecting an estimated average 4.29 percent increase in taxes when property value reductions in the latest revaluation are taken into account. (Sixty percent of taxpayers should expect a tax increase of 4.29 percent or less.) A mill represents $1 in taxation for every $1,000 in taxable property value.