February 2018

NCVOA February 2018 General Membership Meeting

Nassau County Executive to Address NCVOA at the February 13th Meeting

Newly installed Nassau County Executive Laura Curran will be the guest speaker at the upcoming February General Membership meeting on Tuesday, February 13, 2018 at the Westbury Manor. The cocktail reception begins at 6:30 pm, followed by the dinner meeting at 7:30 pm.

This will be an important meeting for the NCVOA as the County Executive has committed to supporting the NCVOA’s position to secure equal sales tax revenue sharing with the towns and cities.

Laura Curran was elected County Executive in the 2017 election. A former two-term County legislator, Laura Curran is the ninth County Executive and the first female elected to the office.

County Executive Curran began her career as a reporter at the NY Daily News and the NY Post. She specialized in in-depth features, often writing about Long Island. She was an adjunct professor of journalism at SUNY Purchase.

She started in public service as a Trustee on the Baldwin Board of Education from 2011-2014, serving as president in her final year. She is a member of the Baldwin and Freeport Chambers of Commerce and the Baldwin Civic Association.

She earned her B.A. in Liberal Arts at Sarah Lawrence College, and lives in Baldwin with her husband and their three daughters.

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From the President’s Desk:

 

Dear Colleagues:

We just passed the midpoint of winter and, so far, our snow removal budgets are intact. I am hoping the weather will continue to cooperate because we need every bit of savings to help our bottom lines.

County Executive to Address NCVOA Membership

I am pleased to announce that County Executive Laura Curran will be the guest speaker at our February 13, 2018 General Membership meeting. She will outline the goals and objectives for her administration and discuss how she plans to work closely with villages in achieving those objectives.

As I mentioned previously, our main priority in working with the new administration is garnering county executive and legislature support for villages to receive a guaranteed portion of the sales tax equal to the percentage already granted to the towns and cities. We must seize the opportunity to correct this longstanding injustice. The Village of Freeport, for example, generated $15.8 million in sales tax revenue this past year and received nothing in return.

County Executive Curran already has indicated her support for villages to share equally in sales tax revenue. I also plan to meet with newly elected Presiding Officer Richard Nicolello and Minority Leader Kevan Abrahams to solidify the county legislature’s support. This is just the first step in moving this item forward. Making it a reality requires our state legislators to enact a change in state law. It is critical the NCVOA demonstrates our villages are united in this effort so we can secure a Home Rule message to send to our state legislators.

Please make every effort to attend this meeting so we can begin building a strong working relationship with the County Executive and her leadership team.

Governor’s Budget Proposes No Increase in AIM Funding

Governor Cuomo recently released his proposed 2018 budget and, once again, it contains no increase in AIM funding. This is the seventh consecutive year AIM has remained flat and the tenth year since the last increase.

As I stated in a January 22, 2018 Newsday interview, it’s a disgrace that New York State is not giving us additional funds. At a time when villages continue to be shackled with a spending cap and increasing unfunded mandates, there is no legitimate reason why we should have to do more with less while aid to school districts and other municipalities continues to increase.  

The NCVOA is fortunate to have State Senator Elaine Phillips in our corner. A former Village of Flower Hill mayor, she understands the villages’ plight and is a vocal supporter of increasing AIM funding. We must support Senator Phillips by reaching out to our state legislators immediately. We cannot settle for another year without an AIM increase.

In Sympathy:

The NCVOA announces with great sadness the passing of Past President Robert S. Thompson, former mayor of the Village of Massapequa Park

Bob, who regularly attended the Annual Dinner & Testimonial, was the longest tenured past president following the death last summer of Roger Fay.

We extend our heartfelt condolences to the Thompson family.

Village of Valley Stream Named Best Place to Live in New York State

Congratulations to the Village of Valley Stream for being selected by MONEY Magazine as the Best Place to Live in New York State.

MONEY annually selects the Best Places to Live in the U.S. The criteria include strong economic and educational performance, affordability, convenience, safety, and a pleasant way of life.

According to MONEY, “First settled by Scottish immigrants in 1834, Valley Stream is a Nassau County village that attracts residents with a reputation of being “neat, clean and safe.” The location is a big draw—it’s just 35 minutes from Manhattan, near two major highway arteries, and served by the Long Island Railroad. Snapple originated in Valley Stream, which also boasts several historic colonial sites, a diverse population, and a close-knit suburban community.”

Kudos to Mayor Ed Fare and the Board of Trustees for this distinguished honor

Friends of the NCVOA

In an effort to increase knowledge of products and services to the NVCOA membership, the Executive Committee recently approved the creation of Friends of the NCVOA. This special affiliation provides an array of special benefits for participating organizations. Participation will be by invitation only. Prospective Friends of the NCVOA are required to complete an application, which must be approved by the Executive Committee.

I am excited about being able to bring this new resource to the members, which also will generate additional revenue for our organization. I encourage you to contact Ralph Kreitzman, NCVOA Executive Director, to obtain brochures and application forms. Ralph can be reached at exec@ncvoa.org or PO Box 231239, Great Neck, NY 11023. You also can call him at 516-437-1455.

Thank you for your continued support. Please remember to attend the Tuesday, February 13, 2018 General Membership meeting featuring Nassau County Executive Laura Curran.

Sincerely,

Mayor Robert T. Kennedy

President

 

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Cybersecurity expert Brian Rauer gave a thorough presentation on cyber crimes and provided suggestions for improving a village’s cybersecurity	NCVOA’s new executive director Ralph Kreitzman addresses the membership
NCVOA 1st Vice President Ralph Ekstrand with NCVOA President Robert Kennedy	NCVOA Past President and North Hills Mayor Marvin Natiss with South Floral Park Mayor Geoffrey Prime and Deputy Mayor Gary McCollin
Saddle Rock Mayor Dr. Dan Levy and Trustee Kamran Barelli	Baxter Estates Mayor Nora Haagenson with North Hills Deputy Mayor Dennis Sgambati
Garden City Trustee Bob Bolebruch with East Hills Assistant to the Mayor Spencer Kanis	Hempstead Trustee Charles Renfroe with Mayor Don Ryan
Farmingdale Trustee Cheryl Parisi, Mayor Ralph Ekstrand, and Deputy Mayor Pat Christiansen	Mineola Village Clerk Joe Scalero and NCVOA Counsel Gary Fishberg
NCVOA Executive Director Ralph Kreitzman with guest speaker Brian Rauer	North Hills Deputy Mayor Dennis Sgambati, NCVOA Past President and East Williston Mayor David Tanner, NCVOA Past President and North Hills Mayor Marvin Natiss, and NCVOA Executive Director Emeritus Warren Tackenberg
	The Last Word: “There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.”            Beverly Sills