The Village of East Hills 2003-2004 budget faced the same obstacles as other budgets in the Roslyn area, namely costs to deal with the long winter and in general, the economic slowdown.

On April 28, the village's board of trustees approved a $5,008,361 budget for the coming fiscal year. According to Mayor Michael R. Koblenz, the budget "contains significant and sizeable cutbacks in spending from proposals originally submitted by department heads." And indeed, the approved budget represents a substantial decrease in spending from the 2002-2003 budget, which called for $7,687,432 in appropriations.

The tax rate for the new budget will be $11.5657 per $100 of assessed value, as compared to last year's rate of $10.5238 for that same assessment.

The mayor's report on the budget added that through "fiscal prudence," taxpayers would pay an additional increase in the range of $78.14 to $218.80 over the next fiscal year. The bulk of this new tax adjustment, the report said, comes from such outside costs as fire protection, pension, disposal and snow removal costs. The rest of the adjustment comes from the costs of running, administering and providing services to village residents.

Specifically, fire protection costs saw a 3.31 percent increase. In addition, the budget allowed for a 59 percent increase in snow removal expenses, a 12.28 percent increase in refuse disposal. The two biggest increases come from leaf disposal (94 percent) and the state-mandated retirement contribution increase to fund New York State's pension investment losses. That cost amounts to a 320 percent increase over last year's budget.

Funding for major portions of the budget, including Government Support, Public Safety, and Transportation remained near the levels for last year's budget. Due to leaf collection, the Home & Community Services Budget saw an increase. But that was offset by a very large decrease in the Debt Services budget. In the 2002-2003 budget, spending for Debt Service was well over $3 million, due almost entirely for a "B.A.N." principal, which itself dealt with the sale of the Air National Guard property in the village. With that paid off, the Debt Service budget for 2003-2004 is only $228,077.

In his report, the mayor listed several main areas of village services, including an increased security force, new emergency planning and management, new plans for a village park, more road resurfacing, meeting new storm water requirements, and an "ongoing commitment" to prune and remove trees.

Mayor Koblenz said the village's private security force is now fully staffed, with 24-hour patrols now in operation. Each member, he added, is state, county, and village investigated and approved. In addition, the village has constructed new security signs announcing surveillance.

Federal mandates have forced the village to develop a program to meet new federal storm water requirements. On the savings side, a sanitation program that is now provided through the village's own staff and trucks, instead of by outside vendors, has, according to Mayor Koblenz, saved the village as much as $100,000 per year.

The budget report also returned to the subject of a new village park for East Hills. The combination of stagnant economic conditions, the countywide reassessment program, and other county-imposed taxes have forced the village to pursue a scaled-back version of their original park plans.

"A substantial part of the emphasis this year will be on finalizing a fiscally responsible plan for an all-outdoor park," Mayor Koblenz said. "The steps will include distributing the proposals, holding hearings on the initiatives and conducting a referendum."

Real property taxes amount to $3,924,937, which, as usual, is where the great bulk of all revenues come from. Projected revenues for other budget items, including those for inspection fees, health fees, licenses and permits, fines and forfeitures, and state aid will remain about the same as what was received in the previous fiscal year. State aid will account for $220,740 in revenues, while the total for departmental income is $290,000. The village's appropriated surplus hopes to generate $407,671 in revenues.

"The new budget...ensures the strength, vitality and fiscal integrity of the village," Mayor Koblenz said. "East Hills continues to enjoy one of the highest credit ratings of any village its size. This exceptional credit rating may be useful if the residents approve a new outdoor park which will be submitted for a vote during the 2003 year."