Rockville Centre Mayor Bossart: Be forewarned, optimistic

       Mayor Mary Bossart gave her fourth State of the Village address at the village board meeting on Jan. 25, reminding residents that Rockville Centre was in the midst of “serious times.” But despite her solemn tone, the mayor cautiously encouraged residents to be optimistic about the future.

“2010 has been another challenging year,” Bossart said during the nine-minute speech. “The continuing economic crisis was compounded by a series of not-quite-disastrous weather events that taxed our resources.”

She described the village as a “lean-running operation.” Despite having fewer workers last year than in 1990, Bossart said, it has been able to do more for its residents, with more extensive road pavement projects and upgrades to water mains and electrical services.

    But she warned villagers that excellent municipal services like these will cost money in the future and could be jeopardized by a decline in tax revenue — which might come to fruition, as the Senate passed legislation proposed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo calling for a 2 percent tax cap.

“What are we willing to do without?” Bossart asked. “We have already done the last of the large things we could do.”

She added that eight full-time positions were eliminated last year to help cut the budget. In addition, the village stopped paying for the annual fireworks display, which was covered by private contributions raised by the RVC Conservancy.

Even with these cuts, however, Bossart warned that services were still limited, and that a 2 percent tax cap could hurt. “A tax cap may seem very appealing,” she said. “But if you examine the implications it holds for the quality of life in our community … imposition of a 2 percent property tax cap would require drastic measures.”

Despite her concerns, the mayor insisted that Rockville Centre was “showing signs of renewed economic vitality.” And that this revival is attributed to two ongoing capital projects: the construction of the 349-unit Avalon Bay development and a new campus center and residence hall at Molloy College.

“These will have a positive impact on Rockville Centre,” Bossart said, adding that the village’s business occupancy rate survey, which the Building Department conducts annually, indicated a 2 percent jump in 2010, to 92 percent.

The mayor said that the village, too, has been contributing to the economic turnaround. In 2010, 1 1/3 miles of roadway was paved, and this year an additional 1 3/4 miles will be paved. The village also plans to use $100,000 it has received from the community development fund to continue renovations to the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center.

“There have been a number of challenges for Rockville Centre, and we have come through them,” Bossart summed up. “I am hopeful … that the economy will continue to improve … We can continue to improve Rockville Centre and keep it a desirable village in which to live, work and raise a

family.”

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