Village Board Opens Talks on 2011-12 Budget

Rockville Centre Comptroller Michael Schussheim presented a few alternatives for the 2011-12 budget on Tuesday night at Village Hall, explaining that the tax rate could either be 3.75 or 5.82 percent, depending on how many cuts are made.

The 2011-12 village budget is still in the nascent stages of being constructed, but Schussheim pointed out two factors that will have a significant impact on it: rising health insurance premiums and pension costs. "There is a very sizable increase in pensions," he said.

Schussheim explained that health insurance premiums have risen by 12 percent, and that the village's payments into its employee retirement funds will also go up next year. "It's causing a lot of difficulties for us," he said.

Though there are few new revenue sources for the village to pull from to cover these rising costs, some help may be on the way. Schussheim said that the village may get its Payment In Lieu of Taxes from Avalon Bay on June 1, and hopefully receive its share of shared sales tax, which is around $68,000. 

Schussheim outlined a few ways to help bring expenses down in the 2011-12 budget, and some included cutting back on police department overtime, reducing professional services at the Sandel Center by 50 percent, increasing parking permit fees by 15 percent, as well as park fees by 5 percent.

Under his plan, the increase in parking permit fees could generate an additional $115,000 in revenue, and the increased park fees could collect an extra $75,000. Schussheim's proposed parking permit increases would increase residential parking permits from $150 to $173, overnight from $158 to $182, full-time employees from $163 to $188, and non-residents from $215 to $248.

These are all proposed increases and nothing was solidified during last night's meeting. The board also discussed other methods of cutting expenses, but were underscored in an executive session. The public and media are not allowed in on executive sessions.