NORTH HAVERHILL — The Grafton County delegation on Monday, 18-1, approved a $53.8 million budget for the fiscal year beginning Saturday, according to state Rep. George Sykes, D-Lebanon, the delegation’s chairman. 

Though proposed spending overall is up $3.9 million from the current fiscal year, the amount to be raised by taxes is projected to decrease by about $16,000, or less than 1%.

The reduction is possible due to the use of $7 million from the county’s fund balance to offset taxes.