The freeholder board unanimously voted to adopt its $206.2 million county budget Wednesday night that reduces spending by $1.4 million from 2009 and keeps the county tax rate flat.

Through savings in attrition, union workers' concessions and ongoing shared services, the budget puts the county in an excellent position during tough economic times, said Freeholder Director Stephen M. Sweeney.

"We have planned for rainy days and in this economy, we could not ask our taxpayers for more," Sweeney said.

The county tax rate has remained stable for 10 years, with two tax rate reductions in 2006 and 2007.

Union workers negotiated with the freeholder board and will take two self-directed furlough days and give a 1.5-percent contribution to their health insurance, saving about 50 jobs that would have been eliminated. The county will also save about $1.7 million through the elimination of 40 positions through attrition.

About $13.8 million will be invested in highway infrastructure, and more than $10 million of that comes from state and federal grants. About $1.4 million will go toward the county road overlay project.

By sharing services, the county was also able to save about $2.6 million.

"We're constantly looking and we're going to continue to look so we can save," Sweeney said.

The county has shared service agreements with Gloucester County College, Gloucester County Institute of Technology, the county library system and other agencies. Fourteen of 24 Gloucester County municipalities benefit from an emergency medical services shared agreement with the county, saving towns money, the freeholder director said.

"When we have an opportunity to help, we do," Sweeney said.

No new big capital projects will start, but the county will conduct resurfacing and safety improvements to Mount Royal Road in Mantua Township and Grove Road in West Deptford Township, bridge replacement in Logan and Monroe townships, and Holly Avenue drainage improvements in Pitman.

The freeholders will also use about $1.5 million to buy and protect more than 50 acres of land for future expansion of the Gloucester County Veterans Cemetery in Monroe Township.

The county also got a boost in its bond rating recently when it was upgraded from an Aa3 rating to an Aa2 from Moody's, a bond rating system. The rating determines how credit-worthy a county is to bond investors. The county has an AA+ rating with Standard & Poor's Ratings Services.