By JUDY RATTNER
The spending plan, totaling just under $34.8 million, is a 4.5 percent increase over the current village budget of $33.3 million. The average home in Rockville Centre would pay village taxes of $2,568, up from this year's $2,336.
In impassioned speeches before the vote was taken, Comptroller Michael Schussheim, Mayor Mary Bossart and each of the trustees expressed dismay with the tax increase, by far the largest the village has seen in recent years. "It's not a pleasure to ask fellow residents for a nearly double-digit tax increase," Bossart said. "Unfortunately, it's a reality."
Schussheim described the proposed budget as the most difficult one he has had to prepare in the past 18 years, and he urged the board to pass it without any amendments, saying, "I have to be a realist. I have to do what's in the best interest of the village."
Schussheim said that the tax increase is the result of a combination of factors, including a decline in key revenue sources, such as the mortgage recording tax and village building permit fees. At the same time, the village will increase expenditures because of contracts it entered into with its two unions, debt service resulting from the recent road resurfacing program and the acquisition of a number of vehicles (several of which will now be leased initially instead of purchased outright).
Adding to the village's expenditures is the implementation of a paid component to its formerly all-volunteer fire department: The new budget includes funding for two Emergency Medical Services technicians who will provide coverage for the village on weekdays from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The Town of Hempstead also recently added to the spate of bad news by notifying the village of a retroactive increase in fees for the disposal of solid waste. This necessitated the addition of $61,000 to the budget.
Schussheim noted that although Rockville Centre is increasing its real estate tax rate by approximately 9.9 percent, the projected growth in tax revenue is only 7.5 percent because the village's net assessed valuation has declined.
Before the final vote, Mulry suggested that the trustees apply unspent money in the current budget to offset what she characterized as an unacceptable tax hike. Bossart countered that "unspent money does not mean it's unallocated," and that the village would use the unspent funds for planned and necessary expenditures.
Schussheim added that he believed Rockville Centre would need the money. He spoke of the village debt, its non-utility-related outstanding bonds that have grown 44 percent in the last four years, and said in an uncertain economy, it would be unwise to do anything that would force the village to borrow any additional money, because that could have detrimental implications for fiscal year 2010. "We should bite the bullet at this point and deal with it now," Schussheim said.
Trustee Andrew Karamouzis agreed, saying, "It would be shortsighted to take unspent money for one-time quick fixes."
Trustee David Krasula said it should be incumbent upon everyone - trustees and village department heads alike - to keep spending to an absolute minimum in the coming year.
Deputy Mayor Chuck Joyce commented on the long hours and hard work that the Citizens Budget Committee, the comptroller and the trustees devoted to the budget process, bringing an initial proposed 14.6 percent tax hike down to less than 10 percent. He noted that under Schussheim's guidance, the village has received numerous awards for financial reporting and management.
Karamouzis also praised Schussheim, and said that the trustees should follow his informed recommendations regarding the budget. "There's no free lunch here," said Karamouzis, "no quick fix to this."
Comments about this story? RVCeditor@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 208.
