The Marilla Town Board voted, 3-2, Thursday night to approve a 2010 budget of $2.5 million that features no increases in taxes.

Councilmen Fred Specht and Dan Handy voted against the spending plan because it includes a 3 percent salary hike for employees, with the exception of highway employees, who have formed a union and have not negotiated a settlement yet.

The budget features a tax rate of $2.27 per $1,000 of assessed valuation with a tax levy of $1,135,100. The general fund is $831,200, highway fund $514,300 and fire budget, $316,400. Copies of the spending plan are on file with the town clerk for public review.

Specht and Handy pointed to a poor economy for not supporting the salary hikes. Supervisor George Gertz, who said that under his administration the town budget has accrued a $500,000 fund balance, defended the salary increases.

Revenues also include sales taxes, cable company fees, court fees and mortgage taxes.

In another matter, Gertz began the meeting by challenging the Marilla United political coalition to attend the next board meeting with proof and numbers to back up accusations contained in political slingers just before the election.

Gertz charged that the slingers used incorrect numbers for the town budget and had accused him, Town Clerk Dawn Pearce and Deputy Supervisor Warren Handley of being connected in the scandal two years ago involving the former highway superintendent. And they weren’t the only targets of Marilla United, which also singled out new Republican and Democratic candidates.

Some slingers were signed by former Supervisor John Foss and addressed to “fellow Democrats,” Gertz said.

Though retired, Foss is still head of the Democratic Party, and he alleged the three had carried petitions for all four candidates — both Republican and Democrats — and misused Town Hall facilities and employees to push their candidacies. Foss said he has no intention of coming to any board meeting.

“I stand behind everything . . . and I can prove everything,” he said.

Foss also charged that Thursday’s board meeting should have been a business-only meeting — not a platform for political animosity.

Both Don Darrow and Beth Ackermanan were the two top vote-getters in the election, edging out Dan Handy for his board seat.

In other matters the board:

Approved a new “Code Red” reverse 911 call system that will send telephone messages out to residents on emergencies and for such issues as special meetings and road closings. The cost is $3,990 a year for a five-year contract.

Announced that the first joint dedication of fire equipment and a new fire hall for both Elma and Marilla will be held at 2 p. m. Sunday at the Elma substation, across from the Iroquois Campus on Girdle Road.

Approved a fire contract with the Marilla Fire Company that is up 3 percent to cover increases in dispatcher fees, equipment, training costs and required seminars.