We would like to cordially invite you, your board members and other residents on Jan. 17 to attend a 'joint civic council meeting' hosted by the CCAF. Our intention is to hold an open discussion and debate of the issues that most concern the members of our respective civic groups. We hope this open dialogue will lead our boards to create a common civic agenda that we can all pursue together.

Long Island is a great place to live, work and play. However many of our communities' people are struggling. Issues such as property taxes, healthcare, energy, rebuilding infrastructure, traffic congestion and preserving green space continue to be concerns. The high cost of doing business is restricting companies' growth, the lack of affordable housing has and continues to drive our younger workers, 18-34 years old, off Long Island.

Taxes on Long Island are among the highest in New York State and the country, this may be one of the most critical issues we all agree on. Addressing these issues effectively becomes more difficult as residents are divided by many confusing boundaries. In greater Farmingdale area our community's hamlets are governed by five municipalities; Nassau and Suffolk County, the Town of Babylon and Oyster Bay, the Village of Farmingdale and two school districts.

We do not expect to solve these issues in one night, but we do expect to start an open dialogue and agree on setting priorities toward a common civic agenda that together we may all better address in the future.

Please join us on Thursday night Jan. 17 at 7:30 p.m. in the Ellsworth Allen Park meeting room. We look forward to a lively debate and constructive dialogue as we forge a common civic agenda together.

For questions and more information, contact Chuck at 346-7411 and/or email charles.gosline@ngc.com.

Lisa Twomey CCAF President,
Chuck Gosline CCAF Vice President and
board members Angela Newman, Phil Badome,
Terri Morrison and Amy Seibert.