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The North Brentwood Town Council approved Monday a fiscal 2010 budget that allocates money for a new part-time public works position and maintains the town's property tax rate.

The real property tax rate will stay at 34.7 cents per $100 of assessed value and is expected to bring in an estimated $167,500 in revenue, according to the approved budget.

The $361,275 spending plan allocates $26,000 for the creation of a part-time public works manager who will oversee the street cleaning crew, snow removal, grant applications and construction projects.

Mayor Petrella Robinson said she anticipates the town hiring the manager by Sept. 1.

"We need to look at someone who knows about infrastructure and [who] keeps a lot of costs down as far as engineering," she said.

The town's fiscal 2010 budget represents an increase of $51,917 over the 2009 spending plan.

The approved budget differs slightly from the one Robinson originally proposed, Town Manager Maryanne Anthony said. The state increased highway user revenue projections by $3,000. The budget also was amended to allocate $3,500 for a storm drain survey for Windom Road after heavy May rains.

"The residents' basements in the first ward were flooded, so we wanted to assess what's going on with that road," Anthony said.

Robinson said the flooding is a constant problem for residents on the even side of the street and that the town needs to conduct a professional survey.

"It could be from the storm drain or from the pumping station; it could be a low-lying area back there," Robinson said. "We need to get together and find out exactly what's going on."

The council also amended the budget to include $1,250 for a laptop computer for the town's use. The computer is needed by town officials for travel, presentations and when they attend meetings in the state, Robinson said.

E-mail Elahe Izadi at eizadi@gazette.net.