October 2015

NCVOA OCTOBER 2015 NEWSLETTER

Published by the Nassau County Village Officials Association

Post Office Box 484, New Hyde Park, NY 1104

NCVOA

GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING

Tuesday, October 13, 2015-6:30PM

City Cellar Restaurant

1080 Corporate Drive

Westbury, NY

516-893-5400

Guest Speakers

NYS Senator Jack Martins

and

NYS Assemblywoman Michelle Schimel

From the President’s Desk

Barbara Donno

Dear Mayors, Trustees and Friends:

When I was younger, I recall my adult relatives constantly telling me, “The older you get, the faster time goes by.” I didn’t fully understand what they meant at that time, but I do now! It is hard to believe another summer has come and gone so quickly. For the most part, we enjoyed outstanding weather throughout the summer months. I hope you were able to slow down your pace and spend some quality time with your family and friends.

Now that summer is a distant memory, we are back to resuming our hectic schedules. We were fortunate to begin the NCVOA’s 2015-2016 year on a positive note with NCVOA’s 90^th Annual Dinner & Testimonial. This year’s event honored Peter Cavallaro, mayor of the Village of Westbury and NCVOA immediate past president. Peter is an outstanding village official and we were fortunate to benefit from his wisdom and experience during his tenure as president. In typical Peter style, he was humble and almost embarrassed at all the accolades bestowed on him at the dinner. His genuine humility is what makes him a special individual and I truly enjoyed being part of this tribute. I especially would like to thank NYCOM President Mayor Richard Milne and Executive Director Peter Baynes, who traveled from upstate to join us in our recognition of Peter.

Another 90^th Milestone

The NCVOA is not the only one celebrating a 90^th birthday this year. I was fortunate to attend a very special occasion this summer at Rockville Centre Village Hall celebrating Mayor Gene Murray’s 90^th birthday. Gene is the former Rockville Centre mayor as well as NCVOA and NYCOM past president. He served his village for nearly three decades and his legacy continues as his son, Francis, is Rockville Centre’s current mayor. Gene was an outstanding village official who is loved and respected by village officials throughout the state. We congratulate him on reaching this significant milestone and wish him many more years of good health and happiness.

Tax Cap will have Huge Impact

As we begin the budget planning process for 2016, we are facing another monumental challenge created by the tax cap legislation. The tax cap for 2016 will be the lowest ever – .73%. This will have a tremendous impact on villages as we begin preparing our 2016 operating budgets. With costs continuing to rise, there will be many difficult decisions that will have to be made to comply with the tax cap. Obviously, capital projects and improvements are likely to be cut or delayed into subsequent years. If your village has developed creative initiatives to deal with tax cap restrictions, we would love to hear from you. Please contact Warren Tackenberg so we can share your suggestions with all our member villages.

October Meeting Features Dynamic Duo

Please make plans to attend the Tuesday, October 13th General Membership meeting as State Senator Jack Martins and Assemblywoman Michelle Schimel, the NCVOA’s Dynamic Duo, will be our guest speakers. They will share their insights on the key issues developing in Albany for the upcoming legislative session and the potential impact on local villages. Don’t miss what promises to be a very enlightening evening.

Reminder…Our monthly General Membership meetings are now being held at City Cellar Restaurant, 1080 Corporate Drive in Westbury, across from Target. I look forward to seeing you October 13th.

Sincerely,

Barbara

Mayor Cavallaro Saluted at Annual Dinner and Testimonial

The Honorable Peter Cavallaro, mayor of the Village of Westbury and NCVOA immediate past president, was honored at the 90th NCVOA Annual Dinner Gala and Testimonial.

Close to 240 guests attended the September 17th event, held at the Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury, where Mayor Cavallaro was recognized for his tenure as NCVOA president for 2014-2015. The Honorable Richard Milne, mayor the Village of Honeoye Falls and president of the New York Conference of Mayors (NYCOM), and Peter Baynes, NYCOM executive director were the guest speakers. Mayor Milne addressed the gathering calling Mayor Cavallaro “an outstanding leader and dedicated public official who unselfishly led the NCVOA during the past year.”

90th Annual Dinner/Testimonial Attendees

NYCOM President Mayor Richard Milne attended the event and presented Mayor Cavallaro with a NYCOM resolution recognizing his service to the NCVOA	NYCOM Executive Director Peter Baynes traveled from Albany to salute Mayor Cavallaro

NCVOA President Barbara Donno delivered opening remarks and introduced Mayor Cavallaro	NCVOA President Barbara Donno presents Mayor Cavallaro with a special plaque and lifetime membership card in recognition of his service as NCVOA president

Diane Cavallaro is presented a bouquet of roses by Mayor Ryba to thank her for her support during Mayor Cavallaro’s tenure	Mayor Cavallaro with NCVOA Officers President Barbara Donno, 1st Vice President Bernie Ryba, Treasurer Elaine Phillips, and 2nd Vice President Bob Kennedy

Jim Altadonna, Oyster Bay Town Clerk and NCVOA past president, presents Mayor Cavallaro with a Town of Oyster Bay citation	Mayor and Mrs. Cavallaro with their special guests

Mayor Cavallaro delivering his remarks	Mayor Cavallaro meets and greets some of the several hundred guests during the cocktail reception
NCVOA Executive Director Warren Tackenberg was the evening’s emcee	NCVOA Past Presidents attending the Annual Dinner and Testimonial

NCVOA President Barbara Donno presents Mayor Cavallaro with a special plaque and lifetime membership card in recognition of his service as NCVOA president	Roger Fay, NCVOA executive director emeritus, is still going strong at 98 years of age as he delighted the crowd by introducing the NCVOA past presidents attending the event

Eric Alexander, executive director of Vision Long Island, converses with Mayor Cavallaro during the cocktail reception “	The Last Word: “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” Mahatma Ghandi