Riverdale Park's approved fiscal 2010 budget maintains the town's property tax rate and boosts its reserves in an effort to avoid furloughing employees, as the town was forced to do during fiscal 2009.

The property tax rate will remain at 64.1 cents per every $100 of assessed value as part of the $4.7 million budget the town council approved June 22.

The budget cuts general government administrative staff salaries from $323,253 to $244,844 with the elimination of one position. Also, the town administrator's salary will be lower after current Town Administrator Patrick Prangley retires in October after 30 years.

Finance committee chairman Councilman Alan Thompson (Ward 2) said he didn't know yet by how much the salary would decrease.

The council eliminated the deputy town administrator position. Mayor Vernon Archer has said previously that the decision to cut the position was primarily made to rein in spending in a down economy.

"I don't believe that we're going to lose services by eliminating that position, but it certainly is going to affect our ability to pursue new development opportunities," Councilwoman Alice Ewen Walker (Ward 1) said. "It was something the council weighed heavily and it's unfortunate, but looking at the revenues this year, we just weren't able to maintain that position."

The new fiscal year begins July 1. During fiscal 2009, the council faced dwindling reserves as tax revenue came in "slower than expected," Archer said, and voted to implement a week of furloughs for town employees, saving the town $44,000.

The deputy town administrator position was cut, in part, because the council wanted to maintain service levels and avoid implementing furloughs again, Ewen Walker said.

Archer said the council had to make some "harder choices" in this year's budget in order to avoid furloughs.

"Obviously we don't want to have to do that mid-year," he said. "In part because there are reserves built into the budget, I think we have a little more wiggle room … I think we have a better understanding of what we're up against."

By the end of fiscal 2010, the town should have three months of reserves, Councilman Alan Thompson (Ward 2) said. The fiscal 2010 budget adds $213,749 to the town's current reserves of about $500,000.

Thompson said the council wants reserves to be up to about $750,000 by the end of fiscal 2010.

The budget also includes $95,000 to buy three police cruisers, which will replace three aging cars.

-$1.1 million to pay the salaries of

18 police officers

-$95,000 to replace three police cruisers

-$20,000 for tree trimming and maintenance

-$20,236 for the Riverdale Park

Farmer's Market