In a close vote, the Austin City Council on Monday approved a voluntary furlough program for city workers to go into effect the last five months of 2009.

The furlough program will allow workers to take voluntary, unpaid time off from work to help the city with budget constraints. Workers taking up to 48 hours off in 2009 will not see benefits affected.

The city has discussed a 96-hour cap for a 2010 furlough program, but no such program has been approved.

Council members Marian Clennon, John Martin and Brian McAlister voted against the 2009 furlough.

Martin said it was just a “Band-Aid for a larger program,” which Clennon said she agreed with it.

McAlister said he had reservations about the system and added that “we’ll find out” if it is successful.

McAlister also voted against suspending the hiring of a new assistant fire chief but was defeated by the other six council members.

The last council had decided to go forward with the hiring process, but current members were concerned that they hadn’t had much time to review the issue.

They were also concerned that because the position would likely be an outside hire, the department could lose a firefighter to make room.

McAlister, who was on the council when it was decided to go ahead with the hire, said it didn’t make sense to go against that now because the past council had thoroughly examined the issue and reached a conclusion.