Although nobody is opposing Jack M. Martins, the mayor feels like he has opposition in the March 15 election. That's because control of the board of trustees hangs in the balance. If the only Hometown Party candidate were successful in getting elected, the Hometown Party would control the majority of the board. Mayor Martins fears the opposing party would prohibit him from getting things done. "Control without a plan is a dangerous thing. If the Hometown Party wants to have a majority on the board, they should have run someone against me," said Mayor Martins.

The mayor fears the Hometown Party would stand in the way of the village moving forward with proposals such as changing the village's legal fees, something a Hometown Party trustee proposed this past year, but ultimately withdrew after a public outcry. Mayor Martins feels the election of his running mates, Larry Werther and John DaVanzo, are critical to the success of the village government.

It has already been two years since Mayor Martins was sworn in to provide the village leadership after serving one year as a trustee. The new mayor immediately enacted the changes he felt were necessary for the government to be accountable to the residents of Mineola.

Mayor Martin's first two initiatives were opening up the government to the residents by holding work sessions, which are meetings during which the mayor and board conduct the business of the village, before the public in village hall's public meeting room and getting a handle on the village's financial situation, which in April 2003 included a $33 million debt.

Mayor Martins believes the village's open government and the village financial situation go hand in hand. "The more open you make government, the more likely you are not going to have fiscal mismanagement. People have the opportunity to know what's going on," he said.

Mayor Martins has been critical of the previous administration for racking up a $30 million debt in 10 years and doing so under the public radar. He points out that in 1993, the village had a debt of $3 whereas in 2003, the debt ballooned to $33 million.

While the village may have gotten a renovated pool, library, firehouse and a new village hall, the mayor points out that only $17 to $20 of the $33 million debt he inherited when he became mayor was because of those projects.

To make matters worse, when Martins became mayor in April 2003, he not only was facing the debt but the 2002-2003 fiscal year budget, which he voted against as a trustee, closed the fiscal year with a $536,542 deficit.

Mayor Martins' goal was to put together a 2003-2004 budget that was fiscally responsible while beginning to pay down the village debt. The 2003-2004 budget put forth by the mayor and supported by the two New Line Party trustees Larry Werther and Steve Franzini closed out the fiscal year with a $342,000 surplus.

According to audits completed by the village's outside auditing firm, the 2002-2003 budget included $13,683,047 in revenues but $15,339,398 in expenses. The village therefore outspent its revenues by $1,656,351. However, the 2003-2004 budget, Martins' first as mayor, spent $15,693,770 but took in $16,539,257 in revenues. According to village treasurer Richard Dwyer, the 2003-2004 fiscal year budget was the first in eight to 10 years to have more revenues than expenses.

Mayor Martins' critics say that in the two years he has been mayor, there was a 13.8 percent raise in taxes for the 2003-2004 budget and a 6.8 percent raise in taxes for the 2004-2005 budget. Martins answers his critics by pointing out that his administration had to begin to clean up the fiscal mess left by the previous administration. "We began to pay off the debt that they ran up," said Werther, Martins' running mate who is also running for re-election.

Dwyer points out that there were several factors that led to the 13.8 percent and 6.8 percent tax increases in the past two years. The increase in the required contribution to the New York State Retirement System caused a 5.5 percent increase; an increase in health insurance costs led to a 2.5 percent increase; contractual increases in labor costs led to a 3 percent increase; tipping fees for refuge disposal by the Town of North Hempstead led to a 2.5 percent increase; converting all of the village's short-term debt to long-term debt to lock in low interest rates led to a 3 percent increase; a reduction in assessed valuation led to a 3.5 percent increase; an increase in libability and fire and workers' compensation insurance led to a 1.5 percent increase. Dwyer said all of the contributing factors on the 2003-2004 budget and 2004-2005 budget led to a budget increase of a total of 27 percent but the village was able to keep it to roughly a 20 percent increase by Mayor Martins' initiatives of cutting expenses and enhancing revenues.

According to Dwyer, the combination of revenue enhancements and operational efficiencies increased results of operations by approximately $1.3 million in 2003-2004.

According to Mayor Martins, employee overtime expenses are down, revenues in Village Justice Court including those for illegal housing are up and parking meter revenues are up. The mayor looks forward to exploring other ways of raising revenues and cutting expenses to keep the tax impact to residents as low as possible.

While passing fiscally sound budgets was a major priority of Martins, the mayor believed the village had to get a handle on its debt. It's been a drain on the village's finances since 25 percent of every tax dollar goes to debt service. He proposed a debt management plan, which set a ceiling for the amount of long-term debt the village can have. The plan was approved unanimously by the board of trustees.

Mayor Martins with the help of Werther and Franzini passed a resolution that stated the village is not to continue the practice of borrowing for expenses that the mayor believed should be funded in the budget. For example, previous to Martins becoming mayor, the village borrowed for tax certiorari payments or refunds made by the village to residents or businesses that had paid too many taxes on property values. Now, tax certiorari payments are fully funded in the budget so the village doesn't wind up paying interest on these payment.

During Mayor Martins' tenure, the village put an end to long-term borrowing and only borrows for items such as equipment with bond anticipation notes that are paid off in five years. It's part of his "pay as you go" philosophy. In the meantime, the village was able to pay down about $3 million of the $33 million debt.

Mayor Martins can't help but think that the village wouldn't have as much of a debt problem if decisions were made out in the open, before the public. "People need to see when tough decisions are being made," he said.

The mayor vowed that people would continue to be kept informed by meetings continuing to be held in a public forum and televised on channel 18.

Critics of Mayor Martins also believe the idea of Mineola starting its own police department would put too much of a financial burden on Mineola taxpayers. In response, the mayor said in order for Mineola to have its own police department, it must be cost effective. That means the village must get better service for a similar fee to what it is currently receiving from Nassau County. Mayor Martins appointed a committee to study the issue of the police department. The mayor said the residents will ultimately make the decision as he said before any police department is ever implemented, resident would have to vote to approve it.

Mayor Martins is looking forward to another two years on the job during which important projects such as 1,000-car intermodal center will be built and the Roslyn Road grade cross elimination will take place. He only hopes he will have the majority of the board to support him.