By 312 votes — 1,029 to 717 — residents passed North Haven’s proposed $84.09 budget for fiscal year 2011-12 at referendum on May 17.

“We’re pleased that the budget passed, but we’re not going to get complacent,” said Republican First Selectman and Board of Finance member Michael Freda. “We realize that we still have to continue to do two things. One, we have to grow this Grand List, which we grew by $15 million this year over last year, and two, we have to continue focusing in on containing the cost of government.”

All five polling districts voted affirmatively. District 1, the Recreational Center, passed the budget as 151 individuals selected “yes” to 150 “no.” District 2, Montowese, was 199 to 170; District 3, Ridge Road, 343 to 122; District 4, Green Acres, 93 to 81; and District 5, Clintonville, 219 to 168. Absentee ballots went against North Haven’s budget, with 25 negative to 24 in favor.

“I think it’s great that we passed this budget,” said North Haven Democratic Town Committee Chairman Peter Criscuolo. “I think it’s a good budget. We only went up by a small amount. In today’s economy, that’s a good thing. And we held all our services intact. That’s the most important thing.”

Overall, 1,746 individuals visited town polls on a rain-soaked, overcast Tuesday, just 11 percent of North Haven’s registered voter population of 15,282.

The blended budget of $84.09 million represents a 1.2 percent increase, or $987,519 jump, over the current budget of $83.1 million. The municipal portion is $39.7 million, a $550,000 or 1.4 percent hike from the current figure of $39.15 million.

Representing 52 percent of the budget, education’s portion is $44.39 million, a $439,664 or one percent increase over the current school funding of $43.95 million. No new positions joined North Haven’s school district in this budget.

North Haven’s mill rate will increase by .35, bumping the current mill rate of 26.18 up to 26.53. As the average assessed home value in town is $211,854, according to Freda, such a change would equate to an average annual tax increase of $70 for each household.

“I think the Board of Finance and the administration did a great job putting this budget together,” Criscuolo said. “Plus, we were able to put in the refuge truck and the fire truck into the budget.”

The two trucks referenced by Criscuolo are part of the primary driver behind the 2011-12 budget’s 1.2 percent increase — $1.29 million in approved capital requests, a 62.8 percent hike over the current budget’s figure.

Such capital items include $80,000 for police department cruisers, $25,000 for roads and drainage projects and $425,000 for a fire truck to replace a volunteer department vehicle with water pump problems. A new sanitation packer truck will cost the town $205,000.

“Without the capital, this budget would have been a negative increase,” Freda said. “With the capital, we’re able to enhance the level of services in town. The new fire truck will go out to bid. We’re about nine to 10 months away from that. And with the new sanitation truck, we will have no delay in trash pickup once we get it.”

Another capital expenditure is a $38,000 upgrade for building department permit software. “This will allow for greater efficiency in the building department permit process,” Freda said. “I believe that this will pay for itself within two years. It sophisticates the process. It is a good investment for town.”

During the past snowy winter, North Haven’s salt shed collapsed in stormy conditions, necessitating a $70,000 rebuilding project. A new backhoe has a price tag of $110,000.

As built into the budget, North Haven’s $8.4 million, or 10.04 percent, unappropriated fund balance will decrease. “We have committed to the public that the fund balance will be taken down to eight percent, and the difference will be used to mitigate the tax burden in town,” Freda said.