The Village Board of Massapequa Park on Monday approved a 1999-2000 budget which raises village taxes by approximately 10 percent, after newly elected Mayor Camillo Giannattasio submitted a plan with a corrected surplus estimate.

Giannattasio, the newly elected mayor who was sworn in on April 5, replacing the retiring George Nussbaum, found, after reviewing Nussbaum's preliminary budget, that it included an incorrect surplus estimate of approximately $1.4 million. The actual surplus, he discovered, is $974,000, according to Giannattasio, who noted that the miscalculation was due to an arithmetic error made by the village's budget officer. The error was confirmed by the village's accountant, James Pappas, he said.

The increase in the tax rate, from $6.15 to $6.78 per $100 of assessed valuation,Giannattasio said, is due to adjustments that needed to be made because of this finding. It will increase the village tax bill for the average home (one with an assessed valuation of $7,000) by about $44 dollars for the year.

"The difference between George's budget and my budget is more a tax correction rather than a tax increase," Giannattasio told members of the public in attendance at the budget adoption.

Nussbaum's budget had called for applying $1.1 million of the previously expected $1.4 million surplus to hold down the tax rate, while the adopted budget applies $523,000 of the corrected $974,000 surplus.

A great part of the tax rate is also due to a large payment that must be made this year on the village's bond program for road repair, which dates back to the 1980s. This payment, he said, represents 25 percent of the $4.45 million dollar budget. He added that next year, the bond payment will be reduced by about $92,000.

The village also lost about $68,000 in assessed valuation since Nussbaum's preliminary budget was presented in early March, according to Giannattasio.

Nussbaum's preliminary budget called for no tax increase, and a plan Giannattasio drew up immediately after finding the surplus error called for a 13 percent tax increase. That was shaved down by slashing approximately $240,000 from Nussbaum's proposed budget.

This was achieved through recommendations for cuts by the Superintendent of the Department of Public Works William Colfer and Village Administrator Meredeth Capobianco, according to Giannattasio, as well as moving to pay for some budget items through bond money that the village already has rather than through 1999-2000 taxes.

In addition, the Mayor announced that in a show of good faith, the members of the political government have agreed to waive some of their own compensation. "I have decided that I am putting this political government on austerity," he said, noting that money saved by waiving cost of living increases, conferences, the special assistant to the mayor's fee of $1200 and other related costs, totals about $10,000.

After comments and questions from the public, the board of trustees approved the mayor's budget by a 4 to 1 vote.

Trustee Scott Wiss, who ran unsuccessfully for mayor against Giannattasio in the recent election, voiced the sole "nay" vote.

"I voted against the budget because I wasn't in favor of a tax increase," said Wiss, adding that during the recent elections, he and other candidates pledged tax rate stabilization. "We all promised, including the mayor, not to raise taxes." He added that he didn't agree with such particular budget expenditures as a salary increase given to the Village Attorney, and the hiring of an additional Public Works employee. He also criticized the mayor's decision to pay for transfer some budgeted items to payment through bond money, and said that he was not included in budget discussions.