The Town of Oyster Bay is raising fees - which translates into more revenue for the municipality. They have raised the parking fees for the unincorporated and incorporated villages; there is now a fee required if you want to reserve a picnic area in the town; permit fees have gone up in Planning and Development.

New town council members Bonnie Eisler and Tony Macagnone have suggested the town board raise violation fines. "If you break the law: don't file for a building permit or open a business without a Certificate of Occupancy - for people who don't follow the code - a revenue increase will act as a deterrent," said Ms. Eisler. "It's something easier than a fee increase."

She and Mr. Macagnone are in favor of the recent increases in town fees. She said, "The increases bring us in line with what other towns are doing. The same with the violations."

Raising fees and fines is a way of raising money to clear up a town deficit. "It's not an opinion, it's a fact that the town has a deficit. We are selling off town land because there is a deficit - and that's a fact. We've said it all during the campaign, that while others are keeping open space, we are selling open space. We have to find other sources of revenue," said Ms. Eisler.

In 1997, the town closed a budget gap of $12.5 million with projected revenue from the sale of property in Plainview, a fact which continues to affect succeeding budgets. The 1998 budget used a second $12.5 million from the Plainview sale of land and the 1999 budget was closed with the actual sale revenue of $16 million, (less than the $24 million expected because of a downsizing of the plan) plus $8 million in bond money for the town sale of park land to itself.

She said the town books haven't been closed yet for year 1999. "It takes a couple of weeks to get the final numbers. It will be interesting to see." She has asked for those figures when they are available.

Council members Eisler and Macagnone recently attended a training class for newly elected town officials. It covered several topics including: "How to avoid one time revenue hits - and how to have a strong balanced budget. Both very current issues," said Ms. Eisler.

Last year, 1999, the Town received $1,658,000 from permit fees. The projection for year 2000 is $2,000,000.

Supervisor John Venditto said at a board meeting that when they reviewed the town fees, they said they were in the dark ages - the fees were so low.

The new fees were, which are coming closer to those of other Nassau County municipalities had remained the same for 10 to 20 or more years. As the cost of living rose, the fees did not. They are still less than the cost of what that normal inflation would have resulted in, said a town spokesperson.

"It was time to raise the fees in line with the administrative costs," said the spokesperson.

The Town of Oyster Bay fee was a $25 application fee and then $50 for the first 1,000 feet of estimated construction plus $5 for each additional 1,000 fee or fraction thereof.

The new fee is $25 application fee and then $75 for the first 1,000 feet of estimated construction plus $10 for each additional 1,000 fee or fraction thereof.

The Town of Hempstead raised their fees on Aug. 15 1998 to $100 for the first $1,000 of construction costs plus $20 more for every $1,000 over that or fraction thereof.

In the Town of North Hempstead the residential fee is: $50 plus $10 for each $1,000 of construction costs plus $10 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof. Their commercial costs are $100 plus $10 for each $1,000 of construction costs plus $10 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof.

The City of Long Beach charges $75 plus $7 for each $1,000 of construction cost or fraction thereof.

Both town spokesperson Jim Moriority and Director of Finances Bob McEvoy were not willing to state that the town has a $12.5 million budget gap coming from the 1997 budget. They were willing to say that the town is constantly fine tuning its budget.

"There is no deficit," said Mr. Moriority.

They did say that revenues have to increase and expenses have to decrease. They are working on both those items.

Mr. Moriority said "The recurring expenses have increased in the last two budgets. There were small tax increases needed in the last budget that will have new incurred revenue for the new budget.

"The fee increases, although they will bring in revenue were not designed to reduce a deficit," said Mr. Moriority. But he said the increases were long overdue and are needed to pay for the various programs that administer the building process including the ZBA and health and safety rules.

"Overall, any revenue that is recurring is good from a financial stability standpoint," said Mr. Moriority.

"We have a balanced budget now, we expect to have a balanced budget next year, 2001, so we are always looking at efficiency. Just because we passed the budget doesn't mean we have stopped considering ways to save taxpayers' dollars," he said.

"A balanced budget is a living document, a projection of anticipated revenues and expenditures."

One of the cost cutting measures was that the number of vehicles the Town of Oyster Bay has assigned to employees has declined. There were 253 vehicles and there are now 221.

It was done through an ongoing process, said Jim Moriority. "We are always looking to see where cost savings can be achieved in every department: when jobs can be consolidated or when there is no need for vehicles or new ways of doing something that eliminates the vehicle."

Budget tightening was also achieved through retirement incentives that then result in salary reductions when new people are brought in at lower cost. That way the town has reduced expenditures by $1.5 million. It was a combination of the elimination of positions or replacement people brought in at lower salaries.

Both Mr. Moriority and Mr. McEvoy see no deficit for the town. "The budget is a projection of revenue you anticipate will come in and the expenditures you expect to make. During the year we monitor what we take in and spend to ensure that our budget remains balanced.

"The town is on solid financial footing and the Supervisor is committed to doing everything to ensure that the town remains on solid financial footing," said Mr. Moriority.

Picnic reservations will cost $75 per reservation for 25 persons or more, for the calendar year 2000, for picnics held between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. The fees are non-refundable and there are no rain dates.

The parks are: the Syosset-Woodbury Community Park, areas A and B; the Plainview-Old Bethpage Community Park, area one; the Bethpage Community Park, area one; the Marjorie R. Post Community Park in Massapequa, areas A, B and C; Tappen Beach, area one and Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Beach, areas A and B.

The board doubled parking fees for residents in both the incorporated and unincorporated villages of the township. The unincorporated villages now pay $20 for 2 years and incorporated villages pay $80 per 2 years.

A town spokesperson said the incorporated village residents pay more because they do not pay the Town Public Parking District Tax. He said the new rate brings the town up to a comparable level with surrounding municipalities. For example the Town of Babylon charges $250 for a two year permit and the Town of Huntington charges $60 for two years.

Councilman Macagnone said, "I live in the Village of Farmingdale. There, a non-resident parking permit is $200 so $20 for the Town of Oyster Bay is nothing. We were way under costs."

Ms. Eisler agreed and quipped, it might be a reason for the town budget to need an influx of money.