Last Thursday, the Village of Mineola board of trustees passed a budget for the 2005-2006 fiscal year. The budget, which will be in effect from June 1, 2005 to May 31, 2006, represents an 8.9 percent tax increase over the 2004-2005 budget.

The budget presented at the budget hearing represented a 17 percent tax increase, causing Mayor Jack M. Martins to work on trying to lessen the burden to taxpayers.

A main pressure on the 2005-2006 budget were tax certiorari payments, which are payments to property owners who successfully challenge their assessments and were found to have overpaid on their taxes.

In 2004-2005, the village had $700,000 budgeted for tax certiorari payments. However, the village expects the payments to be approximately $1.3 million. Since approximately every $100,000 in the village budget is a 1 percent tax increase, tax certiorari payments alone would be responsible for a 6 percent tax increase. The increase in tax certiorari payments and the loss of assessed valuation combined for over a 10 percent tax increase alone.

However, the village is also expected to get $650,000 from the MTA for Station Road between Third and Fourth Avenues and an easement for the Intermodal Center project. The Intermodal Center is a 955-car parking garage and bus depot that will be built on the south side of the tracks north of the Keyspan building on Old Country Road. The MTA took title of the Keyspan building causing the village to lose tax revenue since the MTA is exempt from paying taxes.

In voting for the budget, the village board and the mayor decided to dedicate the money from the MTA toward tax certiorari payments thereby lessening the impact of the budget to the taxpayers. The mayor and the village board were able to pass a budget that does not impact taxpayer services.

The revenue from the MTA is contingent on the village discontinuing Station Road as a public thoroughfare. Assuming the village does, the MTA will rehabilitate and grant the village Third Street between Third and Fourth Avenues as a substitute.

Before the village discontinues Station Road as a public thoroughfare, the village board must hold a public hearing. That hearing is scheduled for May 11 at village hall with all hearings beginning at 6:30 p.m.

A hearing will also be held on Wednesday, March 11 on a proposed local law to provide that building permits not be issued prior to planning board approval and to provide reimbursement of expenses by applicants incurred by the village board for reviewing the applications. Hearings are scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. in village hall.