"It's not so dramatic or exciting as last year," said Town of North Hempstead Supervisor May Newburger, "because it's more of the same. What we tell you is fact." Supervisor Newburger was speaking of her proposed budget for the year 2000 which will be filed today, Sept. 30, as required by law. The tentative budget will then be presented to the town board at its Oct. 4 meeting. Mrs. Newburger met with us in company with her Comptroller, Michael P. Locorriere, and Director of Operations, Arthur A. Gianelli, a few days before the budget's filing.

The supervisor said that the town's revenue estimates are "very conservative," and its expenditure controls strict. As far as the town's debt, for which she has been criticized by her Republican opponents, Mrs. Newburger quoted Moody's report which says that North Hempstead's "debt levels fall in line with averages," adding, "you'd think we had invented debt." The Newburger team pointed, in its budget summary, to the fact that taxes are frozen in this budget, there are surpluses in the four major funds and Moody's has given the town an increase in its bond rating.

As an indication of North Hempstead's conservative projection of revenues, Supervisor Newburger pointed to the town's budgeting practices in reference to mortgage tax revenues. In 1997 North Hempstead had a $995,617 variance in mortgage tax revenues received above what had been budgeted. In 1998 the positive variance was $2,357,770. A $1,000,000 positive variance is expected this year and the town is proposing the same number in the 2000 budget, although skyrocketing real estate sales make a higher number probable. "We don't know how much the transfer tax will affect that market," Mrs. Newburger said, so we're proposing the same number in 2000.

In 1998 North Hempstead had no land sales projection in its budget and in 1999 the number was a conservative $100,000.

According to Mr. Gianelli, in inflation-adjusted dollars, the town spends 13.5 percent less in the 2000 general fund budget than it did in its 1990 general fund budget. Mr. Gianelli has the reputation of being tight on permitting overtime for the town's employees but he says that this will not impact on the delivery of services. The town also has an early retirement incentive which has resulted in $688,251 in savings.

As far as debt management is concerned, the supervisor said, "There is a plan in place and that plan is working and Moody's recognizes it." The sale of the property for the senior development of Harbor Ridge on the Morewood property reduced the town's debt service payments by more than $26 million. North Hempstead has also taken advantage of the opportunity to refinance its debt at lower interest rates to the tune of savings of $942,000.

The town plans a review of its parks programs to ascertain the cost benefits of programs. "People don't know about many of our parks programs," Mrs. Newburger said, adding that her administration will try to find out what programs the residents really want and which ones should be abandoned. Another positive accomplishment of the past year is the issuance of a town newsletter. "Newsletters used to be a luxury," she said. "Now we have a budgeted newsletter."

The town accompanied its tentative budget with an audited financial statement for the year 1998 from the independent accounting firm of Albrecht, Viggiano, Zureck & Co., P.C.