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GIBSONVILLE — Gibsonville residents will pay a little less in property taxes this year, but the town plans to increase taxes next summer to pay for recreation and public works buildings.

On Monday, the Board of Aldermen approved a $4.1 million budget for 2009-2010. That does not include the park management expenditures covered by the county. The budget includes a half-cent reduction in property taxes, bringing the rate to 51 cents per $100 of assessed property value.

The budget includes a 1.5 percent cost-of-living salary increase for town staff, but that increase is frozen for about six months. The town will pay the amount retroactively if Alamance County tax revenues cover the expense.

The board also approved plans to renovate the old public works building to create a recreation facility with an indoor gym, meeting rooms, storage and offices for the parks and recreation staff. The Holt Foundation will pay for the gym floor and goals, which probably will be about 10 percent of the cost.

At the June 15 meeting, the board expects to approve plans for a vehicle storage and shop building for the public works department. The estimate for the combined cost of the recreation and public works projects is $2 million, which would require a property tax increase of 2.5 cents. This probably would go into effect with the 2010-2011 budget, Town Manager Ben Baxley said.

The votes for this year’s budget and the plans for the recreation center were 4-0.

Alderwoman Veronica Revels was absent from the meeting. In a letter that was read at the meeting, Revels said she “vehemently opposed” moving ahead on plans for an indoor gym unless The Holt Foundation was offering to pay a substantial portion of it.

The foundation could build an outdoor court or the town should turn down its offer, she wrote: “We cannot afford to allow the Holts to force us into an untimely debt.”

 Also at the meeting, Mayor Lenny Williams announced that a pharmacy will be opening in the town. The town hasn’t had a drug store for several years.

Contact Jamie Kennedy Jones at 449-4610 or jamie.kennedy@news-record.com