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Mostly Cloudy Rockville Centre mayor delivers State of the Village address
Highlights accomplishments of his first six months
At Monday afternoon’s meeting of the village Board of Trustees, Rockville Centre Mayor Francis Murray delivered his first State of the Village address, highlighting six months of accomplishments and hinting at his future plans.
Half a year into his first term, Murray emphasized his and trustees’ efforts to support the village’s business district and foster a spirit of cooperation in the community, as well as the proficiency of emergency services before, during and after Tropical Storm Irene.
The mayor began his address by noting the cancellation of night-time parking-meter requirements, which was one of his major campaign commitments. “I have heard from many business owners and from Chamber of Commerce members that this single act has worked wonders to restore the reputation of our village as friendly to business and its patrons,” Murray said. “The vitality of our business districts is crucially important to the health and well-being of our village, and the business community knows that it now has a mayor who understands their needs.”
He said that his administration has worked hard to bolster the image of the village as friendly and welcoming.
In addition to renewing training programs and reinstituting an employee recognition luncheon, Murray said he has worked to repair the relationship between the village government and the school district.
“Many in our community are already responding to this new spirit of friendliness and cooperation, and have found ways to perform their own acts of generosity and volunteerism,” he said, referencing the Youth Task Force and volunteer consultants.
Murray lauded the village’s emergency service personnel for their preparation for and work during last summer’s tropical storm. “As a lifelong resident, it was confirmed for me how lucky we are to live in Rockville Centre, where our emergency response is under local control,” he said, “and where we have such an experienced and cooperative team of department heads, work crews and office staff.”
