RIDGEFIELD — Voters approved a combined $144 million town and school budget Tuesday, which represents a 1.8 percent increase to next year’s tax rate.

The $47.4 million town budget, which includes $11 million for debt service, passed 1,524 to 401 votes and the schools’ $95 million budget passed 1,239 to 691, according to unofficial results from First Selectman Rudy Marconi.

Voters also approved the $1.84 million in infrastructure spending and $4.3 million in capital projects from the town and schools’ combined $5.2 million capital budget. The rest of the projects, all under $100,000 each, were approved at last week’s town meeting.

Marconi said he was pleased with the results, but wished more than 11 percent of the electorate had come out to vote. He said the violent thunderstorms that struck the Danbury area Tuesday evening affected turnout. He said the storm hit northwestern Connecticut the hardest and he hopes lives are spared.

“I want to thank the people of Ridgefield for coming out, but it’s hard to be joyous or in a celebratory mood given the understanding of what so many people and families are going though tonight,” he said.

The overall budget uses $1.6 million of the town’s fund balance, built up from surpluses over several years, to keep the tax increase under 2 percent, Board of Finance members have said.

On the town side, spending will increase by 2.49 percent, or $931,000, and the school budget represents a 2.55 percent, or $2.4 million, increase over this year.

Board of Education members’ original request was reduced by $1.1 million during Board of Finance budget deliberations. The school board was able to make the reduction by negotiating with the district’s health care provider, cutting some new expenses, including two new school psychologist positions.

The final 2.55 percent increase includes a $1.2 million increase in personnel contract costs, $744,000 more in special education and a $219,000 increase in energy costs.

The capital items were separated into five questions on the ballot. Three questions asked voters to approve combined amounts, including $949,000 in school projects, $886,000 for fire department and highway trucks and $508,000 for construction to several town buildings, sidewalk improvements and a storm drainage study.

The two remaining items were $1.35 million in renovations to the Venus Building and $570,000 to add 63 new parking spaces near Governor Street. The Venus Building renovations will relocate the Board of Education offices and allow for an expansion of the Ridgefield Playhouse and Chef’s Warehouse.

Katrina Koerting contributed to this report