Murray Reflects on First Two Years in Office

Rockville Centre Mayor Francis Murray read the following comments at the board of trustees Monday meeting:

It has been two-years since I was sworn in by my father as village mayor. I feel the same unwavering sense of enthusiasm today as I did then. I remain committed to making sure we are a thriving community.  

As your mayor, I feel that it is important that the residents of Rockville Centre be informed of what has been achieved in these last two years. I will have a complete report for you in September to illustrate accomplishments and goals for the future, in making our village a better community to live, raise a family and visit. I would like to highlight some items tonight.

Local governments across the country have seen increased financial pressure due to the economy. Unfortunately Rockville Centre is no different. Pensions and insurance cost have skyrocketed, however we continue to do everything possible to hold down taxes. We have left no stone unturned when it comes to securing gifts and grants.  

In these short two-years we have made great strides. We have secured nearly $5 million dollars in grants and gifts to benefit the residents of Rockville Centre. These funds have been used to improve our ball fields and parks, provide transportation and assistance for seniors, equipment to repair our roadways and much more.  

The village also saved money by sharing services with Molloy College to further improve the athletic facilities at the Skelos Sports Complex. The Bob Klein Softball Field gives the college an NCAA-regulation softball field and provides the village as well as the Rockville Centre School District with the cost-free use of the upgraded field. The village recently was awarded first place in the category of Public Works for the Local Government Achievement Award for this innovative Public/Private Partnership from the New York State Conference of Mayors (NYCOM).

Superstorm Sandy was a force to be reckoned with. However, I could not be any prouder of the way our village employees and residents responded. We not only helped our neighbors within the village, but we were able to extend ourselves to our neighboring towns that were devastated. Our police and fire department are top-notch organizations that have worked hard to keep our community a safe place to live and visit.  

Parking has always been a hot topic here in the Village. We have listened to our residents and business district and made parking free after 6 p.m. I continue to remain committed to easing the parking issues and continue working with a committee dedicated to solving this issue.

Another important item that is being addressed is recycling by not only our residents, but our business district as well. I will be working with Trustee Grillo and the Public Works Department to increase the village’s green footprint.  

We continue to update the village’s software. Deputy Mayor Nancy Howard has been working with our IT department to make sure our technology is efficient and up to date.  

I might be biased since I have lived here my entire life and have chosen to raise my family here, but this village is a true treasure here on Long Island. I look forward to giving you a more detailed report on what we are doing within our village at our September board meeting.