After two months of relative peace between the Town of Oyster Bay's Republican majority and its newly elected minority, first-year Democratic councilpersons Anthony Macagnone and Bonnie Eisler held their first press conference last week to protest the approval of bonding $370,000 to pay for the purchase of new town vehicles.

In the press room of the Supreme Court building in Mineola, Eisler and Macagnone called for the dramatic reduction in the distribution of town vehicles to its employees, which they say has been a source of continued abuse and is an unnecessary drain on town finances, resulting in a $12 million deficit each of the last three years.

"We feel this is symptomatic of other problems that we have been seeing not only in Oyster Bay but in Nassau County as well," said Eisler. "There is substantial abuse of the cars that we already have."

According to Eisler, there are presently 104 cars in use for roughly ten percent of the town work force, and the full-time use of many of these vehicles is unwarranted. She continued that it is irresponsible fiscal practices such as these that has contributed to the per capita debt of each resident in the town to rise from $880 in 1996 to over $1000 in 1998. She said bonding has become the way the town has chosen to balance its budget.

As part of their comprehensive plan the Democratic delegation on the town board is proposing an immediate 25 percent reduction of town cars and an additional 25 percent cut over the next year. To supplement the reduction of town vehicles they are recommending the use of motor pools in certain departments and a system whereas an employee drives to work but signs out a vehicle when it is needed. They also want stricter records kept on the use of cars.

Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor John Venditto said in an interview following the press conference that he had offered to meet with the council persons to discuss the issue and was "deeply disappointed" in their decision to hold the press conference before doing so.

According to Venditto, the information they offered was inaccurate. He stated that there is no deficit in the town, the number of cars the town presently uses is approximately at 80 and the town has been gradually decreasing the number of cars it owns for the past several years.

"They know that, politically, cars are a sexy thing, and like children they just couldn't wait to get before the microphones without any regard for the governmental chaos they were creating...," said Venditto.

"If money is ever utilized to purchase any cars it will only be used to replace cars that have met an expanded criteria."

Venditto indicated that a set of criteria has been established to guard against the unnecessary replacement of town vehicles. Before a vehicle can be considered for replacement it must meet two of three criteria: seven years of age, 70,000 miles and/or a maintenance cost that exceeds the value of the car.

Macagnone and Eisler, who stated they approached their Republican colleagues to discuss the issue prior to the bond vote, both commented that their intent for holding the press conference was to create a greater awareness of the town's actions.

"We have a fiduciary responsibility to the public to let them know what is going on in the Town of Oyster Bay," said Eisler. "Hopefully we will engender support from the public so when we call for these resolutions to put in a motor pool we will get a lot of support from the public and be able to implement that type of policy."