During the Sept. 1 city council meeting it was announced that the council has taken steps to secure the positions of not only the three mounted police but also add three first responder positions. "We were presented with a new budget that includes retention of the mounted police," said McKinney Mayor Brian Loughmiller. "If that budget is approved this month, we will still have the three mounted police. In addition to that, we do need to add officers in patrol cars on the streets so we are trying to accomplish that through this budget amendment." Loughmiller's announcement was met with a round of applause from several residents who filled nearly every seat in council chambers. The budget will not be approved until Sept. 15 during the regularly scheduled council meeting, Loughmiller said. The mounted patrol were nearly cut from the city's budget this year and placed in patrol vehicles as city staffers said funding for the patrol could be more useful if spent in the McKinney Police Department's patrol division. Residents, however, voiced their desires to keep the mounted police downtown saying the horses brought a small-town charm to the historic district that they were not ready to see leave. Council members agreed and during last month's budget retreat asked the city manager to bring in another option that would not only meet the need for three additional officers but also keep the mounted patrol. These positions were added back into the budget by removing $400,000 from the depreciation fund.