Bethpage-Tribune_1986-11-20

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VOL. 21 NO. 32
Purcell Releases
Proposed Budget
County Executive Francis T. Purcell has released his pro­posed
1987 County budget. In his budget message to the
Board of Supervisors Purcell noted that the County will end
fiscal year 1986 in excellent financial condition. "Unfortu­nately
despite our excellent fiscal condition, a tax increase
will be required next year due to losses of federal aid,
increases in mandated New York State expenses, and some
necessary increases in costs for high priority spending,"
Purcell said.
Property tax rates for most residential homeowners will
rise from $10,286 to $11,153 per one hundred dollars of
assessment, an increase of 86.7 cents or 8.4 per cent. For the
average homeowner with a house assessed at $7,000, the
increase will be about $60. a year or about $1.15 a week.
Purcell blamed the loss of $ 12.2 million in federal revenue
sharing and a loss of $5 million of investment income (due to
changes in the federal tax code) for over half of the tax
increase. "The impact on the tax increase, caused by Federal
actions, accounts for approximately 45 cents of the increase,
or over 50 per cent of the amount required. Had we had
access to those revenues, the tax increase would have only
been 25 cents in the General Fund and 42 cents overall,"
Purcell said.
County spending in 1987 is expected to be $1,297 billion
which is up almost $74 million from last year's budget of
$1.223 billion, an increase of 6 per cent. An additional $28.3
million will be appropriated for the local assistance program
which shares revenues with the three towns and two cities.
Heading these increases are:
*The budget includes some $38 million for mandated salary
adjustments for contracted employees.
•Although, for the first time, the costs for educating handi­capped
children will decline because New York State has
assumed a portion of the program, overall State mandates
will again increase. Purcell cited the 1987 cost for additional
MTA support of $8.4 million and a medicaide increase of $2
million as examples of costs that the County has no control
over.
•Despite holding the level of personnel down in his past
budgets, Purcell cited the need for additional employees in
certain high priority areas. A total of 117 new positions are
required at the Correctional Center, including 112 correc­tional
officers, due to the court ordered expansion of the
Jail. Seventeen new positions are being sought by the
Health and Public Works departments for necessary water
studies. New judges anticipated to be assigned in Nassau.
County will require, nine new personnel in the District-
Attorney's office. Three new positions are necessary for the
creation of a new administrative unit for the Emergency
Medical Service (EMS).
*New regulations regarding hospital reinbursements will
necessitate an increase of $7.7 million in additional subsidy
at the Nassau County Medical Center.
Purcell said he was pleased that there will be a surplus at
the end of 1986 which will be applied to the 1987 budget. The
proposed budget estimated that cash on hand at year-end
will be $35 million in the General Fund and $5 million in the
Police funds which is $5 million higher than last year for the
General fund and $1.9 million less than last year for the
Police Department.
The excellent condition of the Nassau economy is
expected to continue through 1987. Sales tax revenues
should remain firm and are anticipated to grow at a rate of
seven per cent next year. This growth translates into an
additional $27.8 million in sales tax revenues.
The extension of the sales tax at its current rate of 3-%
cents on the dollar will mean that the County will not lose
over $56 million in sales tax revenue. Without the extension,
property taxes would have had to be raised another $1.50
per one hundred dollars of assessment.
With Purcell's submission of his budget to the Board of
Supervisors, the board must now schedule a public hearing
and must adopt a budget by December 15th.
Week of November 20 - November 26,1986 20 cents per copy
74<!e#f44f^W#^
ThanksgiMing On Long /stand
Although the First
Thanksgiving feast took
place 365 years ago. Long
Islanders today can nearly
duplicate the fare enjoyed by
the Pilgrims and Indians in
1621, with the bounty of
Long Island's local food
products.
' Within a year of their
arrival in New England (in
1620), the Pilgrims had
many reasons to be thank­ful,
including twenty acres
of corn ready for harvest,
lush forests and rivers teem­ing
with game and fish,
peace with neighboring
Indians and time for
relection.
Of the 102 Pilgrims who
sailed aboard the May­flower,
50 men, women and
children survived and
responded to Governor
Bradford's call for a harvest
celebration. They were
joined by 90 Indian braves
led by Chief Massasoit of
the Wampanoags; together
they stocked the common
larder for three days of
feasting.
Quite like the colonists at
Plymouth, the first English
and Dutch settlers on Long
Island were farmers and
fishermen, who borrowed
skills from the native Indi­ans
and made then into a
way of life.
Long Island has nearly
1,000 miles of coastline and
61,000 acres now devoted to
cropland and agriculture.
In 1621, the First Thanks­giving
feast included turkey,
partridge, quail, venison,
eel, lobster and other shel­lfish.
The game was cooked
(Continued on Page 8)