Even with the Park at East Hills ready to open this year, Mayor Michael R. Koblenz and the Village of East Hills Board of Trustees recently adopted a budget that contains a modest tax rate adjustment of 4.48 percent.

That amounts to an annual increase of only $120 for the average assessed home. Mayor Koblenz stated that the "limited increase was obtained even after factoring in all the costs of opening, operating and maintaining the new Park at East Hills this coming fiscal year." While village taxes generally amount to less than 15 percent of all taxes paid, the village was able to hold the line on this portion of the taxes.

"We arrived at the lowest possible increase even while maintaining the highest possible quality of services which include sanitation, security protection, leaf and snow removal, repair of roads and delivery of administrative services," said Mayor Koblenz. "We will also offer the same high standard of services at the new Park at East Hills this year."

Village officials said the budget will continue to provide a combination of comprehensive services for its residents. That includes a large in-house security force to protect the residents, village-run sanitation services, and fall leaf collection.

Other services include road repair, repaving, snow removal, code enforcement, tree trimming, zoning, building inspection, and contracted fire protection coverage through its local volunteer fire departments. The focus this year will be on opening The Park at East Hills, and repaving an even larger number of roads.

In all, the BOT approved a Village Operating Budget increase of 4.69 percent or $372,307.

"In order to achieve this limited increase, the board and I have scaled down alternative proposals submitted to us, and severely curtailed discretionary expenses," Mayor Koblenz said. "Even with all the new and added services we will be offering with the establishment and operation of the New Park at East Hills, we were able to control the costs of our village taxes and continue to provide the highest standard of services to our residents."

This year's increase is primarily driven by uncontrollable costs such as rising fuel prices, insurance premiums, higher utility bills and road sand and salt. Fuel prices alone rose in excess of 40 percent, during the past year and are expected to continue to rise in the year ahead. Insurance premiums have also risen an average of 11 percent.

Additionally, the village is further burdened by other state and mandated costs, which are both fixed and imposed by state, county and other governmental entities through laws and regulations, such as dumping fees, fire department costs, workers compensation, health care and retirement benefits.

All of these costs figured in to account for a total overall increase to the tax rate of $.91933 per $100 of assessed value. As a result of the measures we have taken, our village will continue to enjoy one of the highest Moody's ratings given to any municipality the size of East Hills of Aa3.

"The 2006/2007 budget year will be a banner year filled with excitement and celebration," Mayor Koblenz concluded. "As we plan for one of the most exciting years ever in the history of East Hills, I am grateful to my board of trustees - again, specifically our Deputy Mayor, Linda Nathanson, and our trustees, Gary Leventhal, Manny Zuckerman, and Peter Zuckerman. I am also appreciative to our Village Administrator, Donna Gooch, our department heads, and our staff for being a major part of the preparation of the budget and being instrumental in the progress we have made in the past. Through the 2006/2007 budget, we will once again continue to provide superb services to our residents, and have the means to begin, as soon as possible, the operation of the spectacular new Park at East Hills."