I have been reading in the Manhasset Press and Newsday about the special vote that is to take place next month regarding Councilmatic districts within the Town of North Hempstead. At first glance it would seem like a good idea for Manhasset because it would give us a representative to whom we could take our complaints about the less than sterling services that we receive from the town.

Unfortunately, Councilmatic districts will not benefit the Manhasset community. If the referendum is approved and the number of districts are announced, we will discover that Manhasset will not have a council district of its own. We will become "chopped liver" and it won't taste good.

Manhasset is a small community in the big picture of the town. It will be subdivided into two districts - probably Great Neck and Port Washington - thereby not allowing its residents to speak with one voice on matters pertaining to the future of Manhasset. Remember, the town is completely controlled by Democrats. Realistically, it would be difficult to believe that Manhasset, a town that generally votes Republican, would get a seat on the council board. This is the reality of politics. It would be the same if the shoe were on the other foot.

When you drive or walk around Manhasset you will see that those areas that are represented by incorporated villages have the look that Manhasset represents, but that unincorporated sections get short shrift from the town. The result is that the unincorporated sections do not have their roads maintained as well as the villages. They don't have proper code enforcement of the present laws on the books of the Town of North Hempstead. What we do have is benign neglect. Just look at Plandome Road.

I have been thinking lately that the only way for the unincorporated sections of Manhasset to have any voice in planning and maintaining their areas is for them to incorporate into, for lack of a better name, the "Village of Manhasset." Please don't laugh! Just think about it for a moment.

If the unincorporated sections unite to become an incorporated village it would have responsibility for its roads (paving, snow removal and cleaning), garbage pickup, and for enforcing the various codes that would be enacted by the new village.

I believe that in order to become an incorporated village, there would have to be a referendum by those voters living within the boundaries of the Town of North Hempstead. If the Village of Manhasset became a reality, it would have to pay for its own services. This would be done by taxes. Please don't be scared. The taxes that we presently pay to the town for sanitation, highway and code enforcement would be used by the village for these purposes. The tax base for the new village would include all of the property that is now unincorporated, which includes the retail properties along Northern Boulevard and Plandome Road. This should give us a good base to establish a tax rate for the new village. In addition, the new village must have zoning authority within its borders. Without zoning it would be a sham.

Now the Town of North Hempstead, and possibly some individuals, will not take this lightly. They will fight it every step of the way because it would mean less taxes for it and less authority within its present boundary. This should not discourage us. We have been dormant for too long. The town takes us for granted. It is time for Manhasset to return to a way of life that is expected from the people who live here and do not get from the town.

I would like to hear from some of you regarding this idea whether pro or con. It will not come about easily. It will take several years. Let's talk about it in the Manhasset Press.

James P. Murray