Gauntlets were thrown, bluffs were called and accusations were made — then voters overwhelmingly rejected a proposed tax increase on Nov. 4.

The Riverside Village Board had threatened to eliminate the recreation department if the proposal failed, but after a meeting Saturday, , the doomsday scenario looks as if it won’t actually play out.

Now, board members are hoping the department can survive on half of what it’s used to.

Riverside’s Village Board met Saturday to discuss the budget for 2009. Village President Jack Wiaduck said trustees have been preparing to deal with the outcome, whether the referendum passed or failed. 

Laure Kosey, director of parks and recreation, said she was concerned with the future of the recreation department because Sept. 9 the board made a decision to cut the tax levy of $214,000 if the referendum did not pass. However, at Saturday’s budget meeting, the board decided to support half of the amount needed to run the department.

“They made cuts; they just kind of reconfigured the cuts,” she said.

The board has decided to levy $107,000 for the recreation department next year.

“Unfortunately, it is a decision this department needs to do the best they can with,” Kosey said about the referendum failing.

On Oct. 6, members of the Parks and Recreation Commission and Kosey brought a proposal to the board that would keep the department afloat by raising fees, freezing wages for employees and making some cuts. Kosey said even though the board has cut the village’s support in half, the department has some time to transition to being self-sufficient.

But the cuts will be painful. Next year will bring about some new changes as all special events have been cut because of the decrease in financial support Kosey said.

“No Fourth of July (activities), no concert in the park, no movie in the park, no Easter egg hunt,” Kosey said. “Any special event that was not generating revenue through fees has been cut.”

Riverside’s Finance Director Kevin Wachtel said at the meeting the majority of the cuts the board was planning to make were made. However, the daytime manning position and the community service officer were reinstated for the police department. Also, the board previously had talked about having to eliminate the historical museum.

Wachtel said the board determined the village could fund the museum partially with $12,000.

Funding the recreation department partially was a way to help them become self-sufficient,” Wachtel said. “That I think is the plan, give them an opportunity to see if they can survive on a smaller subsidy.”

Riverside will hold a public hearing Monday, Dec. 15, before adopting the budget that night.