Mayor's Message

Mayor's Budget Message
Tentative Budget for Fiscal Year 2010-2011

Tonight’s public hearing is based on the tentative budget that was presented to the Board by our budget officer, Trustee Joseph Hennessy, on March 18, 2010 reflecting expenditures of $14,407,021. From that figure, $11,680,190 will be raised through taxation and $2,726,831 through other revenue sources.

The projected tax rate of $60.59 per $100 of assessed valuation equates to a tax increase of 2.94% while still providing all of the services that our residents have come to know including the continuation of the Village’s road improvement program.

This board has been faced with the difficult challenge of providing the lowest possible tax increase to our residents while still maintaining the services that you have come to know and rely upon. We began this process with the approach that all departments would see a 0% or less increase in every area except where contractual obligations dictate otherwise. To this end, we have received total cooperation from every department.

One of the first challenges faced was trying to absorb the increase of approximately $200,000 in the village’s pension costs. And as everyone knows, health insurance costs continue to rise. It was also necessary to budget $30,000 for the MTA mobility tax that was imposed last year.
Due to current market conditions, funding from revenue sources such as mortgage tax collection and interest on investments has dropped dramatically. It is also unknown if the village will receive a portion of the Nassau County sales tax so this revenue line has been reduced by approximately $24,000.

There are, of course, many lines in this budget that we can control. Our analysis of solid waste disposal and the contract that was entered into with Omni Recycling continues to save the village approximately $100,000 per year. We are now in the process of going out to bid on our workers’ compensation insurance, and a review has begun with various vendors on the renewal of service contracts.

All departments actively pursue grant opportunities. The Police Department continues to receive DWI and seat belt enforcement grants. Our Justice Court has been awarded $3,600 that will be used for security lighting around village hall, and the Treasurer’s Office was awarded $31,000 through the State Education Department to develop and implement a stormwater asset management system. And we are hopeful that our application to renovate the bathrooms at village hall will be awarded.

As a result of careful monitoring and department cooperation during our current budget year, we are projecting to end with a surplus. This projected surplus provides us with the ability to use $785,000 from the fund balance to offset next year’s operating expenses, which, of course, plays a significant part in the moderate budget increase of 2.94% proposed this evening.

I again wish to emphasize that this budget is a tentative one and that there is still more work to be done before the budget is adopted on April 19th.

Copies of the tentative budget are available at Village Hall.