The Village of Mineola has a budget for the fiscal year 2006-2007, which will go into effect from June 1, 2006 to May 31, 2007. The budget was passed by Mayor Jack M. Martins, Deputy Mayor Larry Werther and Trustee John DaVanzo. Trustees Linda Fairgrieve and Paul Cusato chose to abstain on the vote.

The 2006-2007 budget calls for $17,175,129 expenses of which $11,695,342 will be raised by real estate taxes. Village taxpayers will see a 3.85 percent tax increase.

As in years past, the 2006-2007 budget came with pressures or mandated items that have increased the budget. Among the budget pressures are a drop in assessed valuation, increases in labor costs and an increase in debt service as a result of financing for a fire truck, sweeper, garbage truck and parking meters.

Mayor Martins originally asked acting Village Treasurer Giacomo Ciccone to formulate a no tax increase budget. The village's departments were asked to tighten their belts and increases in certain revenues enabled the village treasurer to formulate a budget that reflected no tax increases. One department that didn't receive what it requested was the Mineola Fire Department, which received just under $290,000 less than the department asked for, although $496,000 in the budget for debt service is attributable to the projects and equipment for the fire department.

While the initial goal was to give the taxpayers no tax increase, in order to make the budget fiscally sound, certain items in the budget such as contingency had to be increased. As a result, the tax increase stands at 3.85 percent.