AUBURN — Voters will get a third chance to adopt a school budget in two weeks, councilors agreed Monday.

The City Council voted to approve a $37.13 million budget for education. That’s down roughly half a million dollars from the most recent version that voters rejected July 22.

Monday’s vote puts the school budget before voters on Aug. 20. Absentee ballots should be available Tuesday morning in the City Clerk’s office.

“I support the budget and I think our voters should,” Councilor Mary Lafontaine said. “I think a zero percent increase in property taxes is great. We’ve done this as much as we can and should pass it as is tonight.”

The proposed budget amounts to a 3.41 percent increase, covered by an additional $1.2 million in state funding according to school officials. But School Superintendent Katy Grondin said there is no property tax increase on Auburn property owners based on this budget.

Councilor Tizz Crowley urged residents to support the budget.

“If you are still angry about your tax bill, please do not take it out on the schools,” Crowley said. “The increase now has nothing to do with the school any more. Voice your displeasure with us, but I encourage you to support the school budget.”

But the vote was far from unanimous. Councilor Belinda Gerry voted against sending the budget to voters, and later said the school’s budget was still too complex. She said she and residents needed more information about how each specific dollar would be spent in every school.

“Let’s put it this way: When I go to the polls to vote on the budget, I will vote no,” Gerry said. “It’s up to voters to make up their own mind.”

School officials presented a 6.9 percent school spending increase to voters in June, only to have it turned down overwhelmingly by voters in July. It would have increased the school budget to $38.4 million for the 2013-14 year — a potential 11 percent property tax increase for the schools.

The School Department’s second try called for $37.2 million in school spending. That represents a 4.93 percent overall increase and a 4.6 percent increase in the amount paid by Auburn’s property taxes.

Voters turned that down, as well.

The new fiscal year 2013-14 budget calls for $73.7 million in total spending for the city and the schools and an estimated $40.8 million in property taxes.

All told, the new budget looks to set the city’s tax rate $20.33 per $1,000 of value. That translates into $3,049 tax bill for a $150,000 home — an increase of $111 compared to 2012-13 fiscal year.

City Manager Clinton Deschene said the city will likely push back the September due date for the first half of property taxes to Sept. 25.

Deschene said councilors need to plan in case voters turn down the school budget a third time. Councilors could decide to begin collecting taxes or they could create a Tax Anticipation Note — a line of credit the city could draw on to keep government running until the school budget is settled. Deschene said he’d rather see councilors commit taxes.

“If it fails, I think you are at a point where you have to begin the tax commitment anyway so we can bring in that cash flow and we don’t have to fund a tax anticipation note,” Deschene said.

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