ALERTS

November 7, 2010

Dear Village Residents


I am writing to inform you of two issues.

Last night we had four car break-ins in the Village. In all four cases the cars were open. In two, items including credit cards were taken. Three of the incidents were in the Bay Hills section of the Village. The fourth was on Huntington Bay Road in the Village.
While we live in a very safe community this type of criminal activity is very common in Huntington. Please lock your cars if you leave them out and remove valuables.

We have had a number of reports of deer in the Village. The reports were in Wincoma.  Deer are very common in the area especially in Lloyd Harbor and Eaton's Neck. Please remember these are wild animals and refrain from feeding or approaching them in any manner.

If you have any questions please contact me at hfmhuntbay@aol.com or by phone at 631 423 8291


Herb Morrow
Mayor

 

 

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LOCK YOUR DOORS

November 24, 2009

Dear Village Residents

Our Police Chief informed me this morning that there was a break-in last evening in Village into a car parked in a residents driveway. The event occurred on Locust Lane. Our police are investigating. Please be sure to lock your vehicles when in your driveway and do not leave valuables in them.

Regards,

Herb Morrow
Mayor

 

 

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June 10, 2009

Dear Village Residents,

Since last Saturday I have received many phone calls from Village Residents regarding their garbage removal bill from Winters Brothers. The cost of service was increased $20 per month/ per home, an increase of over 60%. The only notice of this was a one line statement stamped on the bill. This is on top of fuel surcharges that were increased last year in the same manner. Residents who have called the company and complained have received reductions that fluctuate between $5.00 and $20.00 per month. This type of random negotiation is unfair to all the residents in our community.

As you are probably aware, the Village does not manage this service. The practice has been in place for some time and the “contract” is really between the individual home and the contractor, The recent increases in price with no oversight makes me believe it’s time to review the way this is done.

In an effort to protect the welfare of our residents, the Village Board of Trustees intends to evaluate whether it should exercise its right to take over the management of trash collection services. We would have three options: we could collect garbage ourselves as some Villages do, enter into an intermunicipal agreement with the Town of Huntington, or send out a Request for Proposals and award the work to a contractor that met certain criteria, who would then report to the Village. In any of these options, the Village would manage and oversee the cost and quality of the service. Instead of receiving a monthly bill from the carting company directly, the cost of service would be in your Village tax bill.

We will be reviewing these options over the next thirty days and will report back to the residents before we make a decision. If you have any questions please let me know. I would like to hear your opinions on this issue. You can reach me through Village Hall (631)427-2843 or by email at hfmhuntbay@aol.com.

Sincerely

Herb Morrow
Mayor

 

 

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March 31, 2009

Dear Residents;

My purpose in writing to you today is to update you on the articles that appeared in Newsday and the Long Islander regarding the 2009-2010 Village Budget.

The Village Board has the responsibility of developing a budget each spring for our fiscal year which begins on June 1st. This year the task is difficult because of the many issues in the economy that impact us. Non-tax revenues have declined while many costs are going up. Therefore, the costs associated with running the Village need to be reduced or the residents will face a tax increase that would be greater than 10%. No Board member supports the latter option, nor do I. If we don’t face these issues this year, we may have the same - if not greater problem next year. One could argue that our Village tax is the smallest dollar amount of all the taxes we pay therefore a 10% plus increase is not so bad. That is exactly the philosophy of government that has caused many of the problems we have on Long Island and in New York State today. It is one that I personally reject. It causes us to have too much government at too high a price.

I think that every elected official should be looking at ways to reduce spending rather than raising taxes or imposing fees and surcharges. We should be reducing the size of government from the Governor’s office down and challenging why we even need certain services and officials. We should be challenging the mentality that government workers deserve an increase in salary and benefits every year even when their responsibilities and productivity remain the same and especially when economic times are bad. We should also be challenging the way costs are mandated to small municipalities by other levels of government which force us to spend more than we deem reasonable. Government agencies are quick to tell us what we have to do, but do nothing to help us pay for it.

As we develop the budget this year, several sources of revenue for the Village have declined. These include interest income, municipal aid, and our share of the mortgage tax. On the expense side there are increases in a number of items associated with compensation, health insurance, and retirement contributions. In the current draft of the budget, we have a gap that needs to be addressed. We are in the process of deciding what changes have to be made. There are some things we cannot do and some services we cannot cut. There are cost reductions we have already made. In addition, reducing staff, compensation reductions, reducing office hours, reducing the number of court sessions are some under consideration. We are contacting every vendor to seek concessions. We have to look at every option.

I plan to update you as we go through the spring. We will continue to send information to the Long Islander and the Huntington Times. Please visit our website for information as well. (www.huntingtonbay.org) If you have any questions, comments or thoughts about this matter, I would welcome hearing from you. As always, you can reach me at Village Hall 631 427-2843 or by email at hfmhuntbay@aol.com.

Sincerely,

Herb Morrow
Mayor

 

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HUNTINGTON BAY MAYOR EXPECTS MAJOR CUTS IN 2009 BUDGET

Village of Huntington Bay, New York, February 10, 2009- The Village of Huntington Bay’s Board of Trustees held it regular monthly meeting on Monday, February 9th. The meeting included discussion of revisions to the Village code, and routine monthly matters.

During the review of the Village’s financial statements Mayor Herb Morrow told the Board that over the next 60 days the Board will need to make difficult choices as it prepares and passes a Village Budget for the fiscal 2009-2010. The Village’s financial year begins on June 1st.

The current Village budget is $1,875,000.The Mayor pointed out that 75% of the revenue comes from property taxes paid by the residents. “We cannot expect business as usual in today’s economic climate. We cannot burden the residents with a large tax increase. Those of us who live here pay the bill”, said Mayor Morrow. Twenty- five percent (25%) of revenue comes from other sources including interest income which is substantially down. Mortgage tax sharing is short $50,000 in this year’s budget, and state and county funds that come to municipalities are expected to be down next year as well.

“We could be looking at a revenue shortfall of over $200,000”, the Mayor said. The Mayor also pointed out that 72% of the budget pays for the Village Police Department. “That part of the budget, as well as all other expenses including; Village staff, professionals, vendors, Village Court and every other item will be reviewed line by line. We will be looking for reduced costs before we consider cuts and/or a restructuring and reduction in Village services. ”; said Mayor Morrow.

The Mayor said he will begin working with the Deputy Mayor, Dennis Gai this week to begin the process.

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For additional information contact Kristen Gerken at 631 427-2843

 

 

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LOCK YOUR DOORS
November 13, 2008

Dear Residents,

While Huntington Bay is a safe community I must remind you to please lock your car doors and remove all valuables from them, even if they are parked in your driveway. A few residents in our community who failed to lock their doors had items taken from their vehicles in recent days. The police report that the incidents were on Bay Avenue going toward and into Wincoma.

Do not hesitate to report anything or anyone that looks suspicious by dialing 911.

Sincerely,

Herb Morrow
Mayor