FAIRFIELD — After attempts to cut the school board budget by $600,000 and $354,000 failed, the Representative Town Meeting Monday adopted a total spending plan for both town and school of $245,498,879 by a vote of 28 -21.

As adopted, the 2009-09 budget would mean a new tax rate of 18.58 mills, up from the current mill rate of 17.41. On a home assessed at $250,000 that would mean a tax bill of $4,645, a $292.50 increase from the current $4,352.50 bill.

Several of the Republicans who voted against the total budget did so, they said, to send a message.

"I've been very troubled with this budget, while I do support the Board of Education," James Walsh, R-1, said. He commended the Board of Finance for adding to the town's reserve accounts, but said he has a problem with the nonrecurring capital budget.

"We take these small projects and pull them out of the budget and pay for them over five years and pay interest," he said. "There is no paving in the operating budget because we're bonding it all. I don't think that is the right thing to do."

James Millington, R-9, said year after year the budget "flows through with near unanimous consent." He said each year, the town starts with a budget that carries over expenses from the previous year. Instead, Millington said, each budget should start at zero.

The RTM did unanimously cut $64,000 from the school board's $139.6 million budget, the cost saved by two additional teacher retirements not originally included in

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the budget proposal.

The attempts to make larger cuts to the school board spending plan found support on both sides of the political aisle.

On the $600,000 proposed cuts, Wayne Parks, R-3, said there are years "I don't support the Board of Education budget request, but this year I do," while Faith Dillon, R-9, took the opposite stance. "I don't think this is an outrageously large amount to reduce the budget."

For the Democrats, Barbara Rifkin, D-7, was opposed to the cut, saying it would only amount to about $25 a month per household, while the "detriment to the Board of Education will be much greater than that."

Helen D'Avanzo, D-8, who made the motion to cut the school budget, said she helps prepare tax returns at the Senior Center, and for some people, $25 more a month is a hardship. "I urge you to support this cut in the interest of all the taxpayers," she said.

That motion failed 23 in favor, 26 against, while the proposed $358,000 cut failed with 22 RTM members voting yes and 27 voting no.

The Board of Finance will meet today at 7:30 p.m. in the Fairfield Public Library to set the mill rate.