Last week, the Village of Roslyn Harbor board of trustees approved its budget for the 2004-05 fiscal year with appropriations totaling $519,275.

According to Roslyn Harbor Mayor Gerson Strassberg, Nassau County's extensive real estate assessment program forced the village to increase its tax rate for local homeowners. Revenues to be raised from property and franchise taxes are only slightly more than what was raised in the 2003-04 budget. However, the tax rate per 100 dollars increased from 5.38 percent in the 2003-04 fiscal year to 11.49 percent in this year's approved budget. This is the first time in seven years that the village had to increase the tax rate.

Roslyn Harbor residents, on average, will pay about the same taxes as they usually do, the mayor said. Still, the assessment meant the village was working with a smaller revenue base than in recent years. In addition, the village did not obtain the same amount of state aid that it usually receives, even though such aid is only a small part of the revenue budget.

Appropriations for the fire protection budget totaled $125,000, a good one-fifth of the entire budget spending. Appropriations for similar village services include snow removal ($35,000), public works ($30,000), building inspection ($22,000), street maintenance ($18,300), street cleaning ($12,000), and drainage ($12,000).

Further appropriations went toward more administrative aspects of the budget, including employee benefits ($61,800), the clerk's office ($55,500), law ($50,000), treasurer ($37,500), insurance ($28,000), and the village court ($21,000). The village also set aside $8,300 for community beautification, $5,000 in traffic control, and $4,000 for environmental control.

In addition, the village's cumulative surplus reached $84,000. This money is rolled over to next year, which gives the village some flexibility, in either transferring funds or saving it for a future budget.

Revenues from property and franchise taxes ($379,805) make up the overwhelming bulk of the monies needed to balance the budget. State aid ($43,000) is next, followed by revenues from licenses and permits ($30,000), fines ($20,000), parking lot fees ($16,000), and a utilities tax, which is also estimated at $16,000.

In recent months, the village has been involved in a flurry of other activities. The BOT has moved to consider an amendment to the building code, one that would prevent what village officials term as "oversized" residential homes from being constructed in Roslyn Harbor.

Last winter, the village finally achieved a resolution on a major traffic problem at Back Road and Glen Cove Road, when the New York State Department of Transportation installed, at the request of the village, a left-turn signal light at the intersection in question.

The Village of Roslyn Harbor recently approved their own budget, one that for the seventh consecutive year, managed to avoid a tax increase. In addition, the Village of Roslyn will hold a public meeting on its 2004-2005 proposed budget on April 20. The meeting will be held at 8 p.m. at Village Hall, 1200 Old Northern Blvd. A copy of the proposed budget is available at the village hall building for viewing by all interested residents.