Village OKs Budget, Eatery Proposals

Babylon Village’s newly adopted $8.2 million budget for the 2011—2012 fiscal year includes a 3.73 percent tax rate increase and maintains all current programs and services.

The budget spend increase of about $600,000 is tied to increasing workers compensation, health care and pension costs, say village officials.

Mayor Ralph Scordino also cited rising utilities fees, such as electricity and fuel, as additional costs playing a factor.

“We’re getting crippled with the health care and other costs that we can’t control, and this was a bad winter in terms of heating costs. Everything goes up,” he told Patch.

The current budget is $7.6 million and represented a 44 cents tax rate increase, with a tax rate of $12.05 per $100 assessed valuation.

The new budget, which runs from June 1, 2011 to May 31, 2012, has a tax rate of $12.50. It will boost the average tax bill by $17.

The village plans to spend $100,000 to repair and replace sidewalks and lampposts and buy new multi-meters. But it is not planning any major capital improvement projects.

The largest budget item line is employee benefits, $1.8 million, and transportation is second at $1.4 million.

The budget approval took place at Tuesday’s board meeting. The agenda also included approval for two recent applications that were the subject of public hearings earlier this month.

Rolf Heineman, who runs a computing software business on Deer Park Avenue, received approval to open a breakfast and lunch establishment at the former Babylon Paint and Hardware location on DPA. A wine and cheese bar, proposed by Massimiliano Gargiulo, owner of Solo Vino, also got the green light to operate on DPA.

Earlier this month the village board enacted a six-month moratorium on new dining establishments in light of the impending opening of a 265-seat restaurant at the former Bank of New York Building on Deer Park Avenue.

The new restaurant, being built by the Bohlsen Restaurant Group, is still awaiting needed permits, according to BRG’s spokesperson, though opening is still planned by year’s end.