While most of the focus in the Roslyn area has been on the school budget and board of education races, the Village of East Hills' board of trustees recently approved their own 2004-2005 operating budget.

According to a budget report, the approved budget was only modestly adjusted, due primarily to increased retirement and health costs for the village's 50 employees.

After multiple revisions in which BOT members continued to reduce expenses and curtail costs, a tax levy increase to the budget was approved, one that amounts to $101 for the average homeowner.

"We continued to pare down the budget and cut expenditures until the overall increase reflected only a modest increase for our residents," said Mayor Michael R. Koblenz.

The operating budget tax levy, which includes all budgetary expenses, without the new costs for the Park at East Hills, rose by 6.38 percent, with .92 percent in controllable expenses and 5.46 percent imposed by fixed mandated expenses for health care, retirement, increased fire and insurance costs.

In addition, the budget will see a small increase in controllable expenses of $0.1127 per $100 of assessed value. The budget report stated that other state and mandated costs, which are fixed and imposed by state, county and other governmental laws and regulations, including health care and retirement benefits, also figured into the budget, resulting in an additional impact on the tax levy of $0.6659 per $100 of assessed value.

In the report, Mayor Koblenz thanked his fellow BOT members and his staff for their assistance in completing the budget.

"While we implement a necessary adjustment to the new tax levy, we are also cutting the budget in other areas in order to arrive at the modest increase to the tax levy," the mayor said. "To this extent, it was necessary to eliminate additional staffing, as well as proposals for non-essential equipment."

The biggest news in the village has been the recent approval for a $17 million bond that will fund the Park at East Hills, a 50-plus acre park that will stand on land off Harbor Hill Road where the Air National Guard once called home.

This year, a separate budget was prepared to offset the carrying costs for the bond. The village will now charge $3.80 per $100 of assessed value in addition to having elected to charge only one-third of the total original projected operational costs. According to village officials, this amounts to $0.746 per $100 of assessed value being added. Overall, village officials added, the park budget required a tax levy adjustment by 37.31 percent.

Other aspects of the budget include the village's security force, building specifications, public works, street repaving efforts, a tree program, beautification, leaf collection, code enforcement, and storm water requirements.

Approximately 15 percent of the budget will be spent on the security force. According to the village's Director of Public Safety, the security force staff has the required full state, county, and village certification, which also includes complete background checks.

In addition, the village now has two committees, which are attempting to establish "reasonable controls on building heights, floor-area ratios, and aesthetics." The budget report added that the BOT is expected to adopt new limitations, which will better guarantee that the character of East Hills is maintained.

The new budget will also allow for a "significantly number of roads" to be repaved. Calling falling trees on Long Island a "problem and potential liability," the report said that the budget will allow for the village to both determine which local trees are dead and then to remove them. The tree program will also have trees pruned to remove dead branches. "In this way, the community avoids accidents caused from trees and branches," the budget report stated.

"The 2004-2005 budget fully addresses the needs of the village," Mayor Koblenz said. "The budget protects the security of the village, and it provides for the highest levels of administration, sanitation, snow removal and leaf collection. Just a year ago, Governor George Pataki named our community one of the nine Quality Communities in New York State. Through the means provided in this budget, East Hills will continue to thrive and grow further in stature."