Tentative 2012-13 Mineola Budget to Rise 2.56 Percent

“We’re not all where we want to be – I want every road paved, I want every curb taken care of, I want every tree eliminated that’s causing troubles on the sidewalks but finances are what they are and we all need to worry about the residents in the village with taxes,” Mineola said as the village posted some of the numbers on its tentative draft of the 2012-13 fiscal budget during a meeting of the on April 3 at the .

The mayor attributed most of the increases to costs associated with pensions and fuel, having asked the respective village department heads to “hold the line” on increases.

“I’ve asked them to go with as minimal amount of increases as possible. Certainly they had (some amounts) that they had to increase, they had to take into consideration fuel, pension costs and things of that nature that normally go up that we don’t have control over,” he said. “But I asked them to hold the line on everything else and they did so.”

The tentative budget as of the April 3 meeting indicated a budget-to-budget increase of 2.56 percent increase or $330,000. The board had voted earlier in the year to . The mayor also requested that an extra $50,000 be added into the budget to deal with curb repairs.

“We have some serious curb issues in the village although $50,000 is not a lot of money for the work that needs to be done but we won’t get to the end if we don’t ever start,” he said. “I think we have an extremely lean budget. I could decrease taxes 10 percent if I wanted to slash-and-burn, but I don’t want to do that. I want to maintain – if we can – the level of services that we’ve come to appreciate and enjoy as residents and fellow taxpayers in the village.”

Village treasurer Giacomo Ciccone outlined a number of adjustments to the 2011-12 budget at the meeting, which he attributed to more up-to-date figures he had been receiving and being able to get a more accurate projection for the upcoming year.

“As we get further into the fiscal year I receive more additional revenue and am able to see what the actual (amount is),” Ciccone said.

The changes made to the budget on April 3 are as follows:

General fund revenues:

• Interest - Property Tax increase from $60,000 to $65,000
• Utility Gross Tax decrease from $465,000 to $450,000
• Recreation Charge increase from $50,000 to $55,000
• Business Licenses increase from $50,000 to $55,000
• Certificate of Fees increase from $9,000 to $20,000
• Board and Subdivision Fees decrease from $20,000 to $5,000
• Plumbing Permits decrease from $40,000 to $35,000
• Electrical Permits increase from $15,000 to $18,000
• Other Unclassified Revenues increase from $20,000 to $25,000
• Non-resident Usage Fees increase from $15,000 to $20,000
• Net for revenue is an increase of $4,000 

Expenditures:

• Overtime decrease from $25,000 to $21,000
• Legal Fees and Costs increase from $275,000 to $300,000
• Contractual Personnel Services decrease from $9,000 to $7,400
• Rental Machines decrease from $2,400 to $1,500
• Carting Machines decrease from $2,250 to $1,500
• Gasoline increase from $95,000 to $100,000
• Diesel Fuel increase from $105,000 to $125,000
• Contingencies - All Other decrease from $590,000 to $514,000

Fire Department:

• Equipment increase from $15,000 to $16,500
• Foam decrease from $500 to $0
• Miscellaneous Supplies increase from $7,000 to $7,500
• Tools decrease from $1,500 to $0
• Service Award Program decrease from $205,000 to $196,940
• Personal Services decrease from $306,885 to $304,176

Street Maintenance:

• Personal Services increase from $695,218 to $724,338
• Concrete Requirements Contract (Curbs) increase from $100,000 to $150,000
• Parks - Personal Services decrease from $199,985 to $170,865
• Net increase of $6,981 on expenditures.

“Most of these lines were just eliminating a couple of lines and moving certain personnel people to different departments,” Ciccone said. 

Water Fund:

• Chemical Supplies increase from $100,000 to $125,000
• Repairs Well No. 4 increase from $2,000 to $80,000
• Repairs Well No. 5 decrease from $80,000 to $2,000
• Contingency decrease from $40,000 to $30,000
• Health and Medical Insurance decrease from $230,000 to $215,000
• Net effect of $0

The village takes down one well per year for repairs “and we allocate the money from one line to another line just to cover the cost of repairs,” Trustee Lawrence Werther said of the lines for the village wells.

Trustee Paul Pereira asked that the line for the village historical society also be increased initially by $750 to $1,750.

“Currently the historical society is undergoing the process of codifying and archiving what they have, scanning pictures, they’ve had to invest in some computer equipment, they also have internet access and phone access which that alone brings them up to close to $1,000,” he said. “It’s a token change.”

The board agreed to a $1,000 increase to a $2,000 budget.

“They’re a worthwhile organization. They’re trying to maintain the history of the village,” Mayor Strauss said. “So this might help them out a little bit helping us preserve our heritage.”

The total amount of the 2012-13 village budget is about $18.86 million. The 2011-12 budgeted , while the 2010-11 budget was only about $600,000 less at $17,904,868.