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After learning that a shortfall in the budget may affect the Pleasant Garden senior luncheon program, someone made a donation for the balance of $2,462 to the town, requesting anonymity.

But the town can’t guarantee anonymity and should give the money back, town attorney Blair Carr said at Tuesday night’s Town Council meeting.

The council also said it doesn’t want to rely on donations from citizens to keep the programs running. It plans to look at ways to make sure programs are funded adequately.

Senior Resources of Guilford had requested $7,585, but the Pleasant Garden Town Council only budgeted $5,123.

Later in the meeting, the council also heard from citizen Nancy Martin about cuts to the program.

In other action, the council:

• Changed the October meeting to Oct. 13. The council, which normally meets the first Tuesday of the month, moved the date because a primary election will be held Oct. 6, and council chambers is a polling place. The town is hosting a primary because of the number of candidates who filed to run for mayor and council member.
• Heard Alan Marshall ask council to be wise in use of the town attorney. Marshall had examined attorney invoices from previous months and was concerned the town might go over the funds allotted for legal services, Town Administrator Sandy Carmany said.
• Learned that there had been several incidents of vandalism on town property in the past month — glass on the electric meter of the picnic shelter was broken, hand sanitizer in the portable toilet had been removed and the wooden boxes holding trail maps were removed from the nature trail’s two entrances.
• Asked the town attorney to attend the next recreation board meeting. The board wants the attorney to draft a vendor ordinance in regards to town events, but the attorney wants to learn more about what the board is trying to accomplish.
• Approved paying overtime to Assistant Town Clerk Linda Baker and Town Clerk/Administrator Sandy Carmany out of the 2009-10 budget. There was question last month whether Carmany qualified for overtime. Based on the attorney’s opinion, Carmany can receive overtime. This year, town staff is required to take time off for compensation for overtime, not pay.
• Appointed Paul Hernandez to the recreation board.

Contact E.A. Seagraves at 883-4422, Ext. 241, or elizabeth. seagraves@news-record.com