Petito Proposes Budget Cut; Board In Hassle Over Capital Budget
The 1968 Supervisor's Preliminary
Operating Budget submitted
by Supervisor Michael N. Petito
shows major tax savings for the
second consecutive year. Petito
revealed that he had removed approximately
$ 1,550,000 in departmental
requests from the General
Fund to arrive at a final figure of
$ 6,284,000. The original depart-mental
requests came to $ 7,833,
000 which would have meant a
tax rate of 51.5 cents per hundred
dollars of assessed valuation.
Under the Supervisor's reduced
figure, the tax rate will be 18.3
cents, a saving of 33.2 cents. Pet-ito's
Preliminary Budget also
showed major reductions in the
Highway and Sanitary Services
budgets with a 20 percent saving
on Highway proposals and up to
32- per cent saving in District
Two of Sanitary Services. The
Supervisor's Budget also includes
a substantial increase in
recreation programs for handicapped
children, senior citizens
programs, expanded tree- planting
Townwide and improved bus
service to Town Parks.
The Petito Budget means general
tax savings to residents all
across the Town if supported by
the Town Board. For example,
using a home assessed at $ 7,000
as a guide, the savings by Mas-sapequa
Taxpayers would be
$ 1.91 per 100, a saving of 72.8
cents on the 1968 departmental
requests and a 22.1 cent reduction
from the current area tax rate.
In submitting his Preliminary
Budget to the Board for their
study, Petito stated that while the
emphasis is on economy, ' i t is
also a Budget that gives us the
impetus to move on to the programs
needed for a better tomorrow."
One of the highlights
of the Preliminary Budget was
provision for more than $ 60,000
for recreation programs for
handicapped children, including
new outdoor equipment and expanded
tree- plantings town- wide,
*
citing a slow- down in the past
which has left gaps in the tree-planting
plans. Emphasis was
also placed on improved bus
service to Town parks and an extended
beautification program
which provides jobs for high
school and college age youths interested
in conservation.
In presenting his 1968 Supervisor
Preliminary Budget, Petito
also took note of the fact that his
Town Capital Budget, presented
to toe Town Board last April,
still had not been answered and
he emphasized toe importance of
the Capital Budget in stabilizing
the annual tax rate. " In the past,"
the Supervisor said, « * the Town
has had to live with large scale
fluctuations in capital expenditures
which at times used to act
as a shock to the tax rate. I
have asked the Board to speed
up their decisions on my Capital
Budget so that its stabilizing
abilities can be brought to use
this year."
Town Councilman Ralph J.
Marino, Chairman of the Town
Board's Standing Committee on
Local Government, assisted by
the Town's Capital Expenditures
Committee staff, has slashed
$ 18,500,000 from Democrat Supervisor
Michael N. Petito's proposed
vaguely descriptive $ 45.5
million dollar capital budget.
Marino, the Republican candidate
for Supervisor, described
the Democrat's budget as " sheer
extravagance that ignores the
simple fact that our Town taxpayers
cannot afford unnecessary
increased government costs. We
have cut the fat and waste out of
his budget and brought it inline
with the needs of the Town's residents
without eliminating the introduction
of required capital
projects on a priority basis,"
Marino stated. The cuts in toe
Democrat Supervisor's budget
represent a reduction of 41 per
cent.
Marino charged his opponent
with " a spendthrift approach to
government. Instead of a planned
and realistic capital budget ...
Town Supervisor Michael N.
Petito has termed a Town Board
claim to cut his Capital Budget
by one- third " pure subterfuge
aimed at confusing the issues of
a Capital Budget and the regular
annual Town Budget.'' The Supervisor
referred to a town board
statement claiming that some 18-
million dollars should be removed
from the Capital Budget submitted
to the Board last April
and not replied to until now.
Petito questioned the ability of
the Town Comptroller's office
to comprehend a Capital Budget
after apparently making the suggestions
for cuts to the Council-men.
The Board made its statement
on the Capital Budget in toe
hope that people will think they
are considering the 1968 Preliminary
Budget. For five
months, they sat on their hands
and ignored my Capital Budget
which is actually a plan to give
our capital expenditures more
continuity and to stabilize the
tax rate."
The Capital Budget considers
projected improvements and projects
over a six year period and
has no direct connection with toe
Supervisor's Preliminary Budget
which was submitted last Friday.
Scoring the Democrat Supervisor's
plan to build a large addition
to Town Hall, in direct
contrast to the taxpayers'resistance
to government expansion,
Marino said, " This is something
we can do without. The Townspeople
are faced with increased
taxes on the federal level. Certainly
we can do without a Town
Hall addition without impairing
Town services, to keep local
government costs to a minimum."
Continued Petito: ' « The Town
Board has mounted an irresponsible
attack on a Capital Budget
that was based largely on the
PETITO VOTES FOR SCHOOL
BUSING TO ACHIEVE
RACIAL BALANCE
At a meeting of the Nassau
County Board of Supervisors
last year, a vote was
taken on a resolution supporting
the Lent- Goldstein
Bill. This law, if passed,
would have barred the State
education commissioner
from forcing the busing of
school children for the sole
purpose of achieving racial
balance. The r e s o l u t i on
passed, with only the
Democrat board members
voting against it. However,
County Executive Nicker-son
vetoed the resolution.
On March 14, 1966 a
second resolution was introduced
to override Nick-erson's
veto. Here is the
official, word - for - word
transcript of what Petito
said as he again joined
forces with the Democrat
forces opposed to the anti-busing
bill.
MR. PETITO: " I wish
to take the position taken
by the County Executive.
I wish to vote against the
motion to overrule his veto.
Although everyone pays lip
service to the principle that
neighborhood schools
should be maintained, at
the same time say there
should not be segregation
in schools. Who matters
who brought about this proposed
bill would eliminate
racial imbalacne as a consideration
in the assignment
of children in
public schools in clear
violation of the decisions
of the Court. If I am
to believe in the principle
that local school
boards should decide for
their area what is best for
their school and the residents
therein and this bill
would not help them make
such a decision, I believe
it adds nothing to the
solution of the problem of
the schools and I would
therefore support the position
taken by the County
Executive. I vote Nay."
Responding to Petito's
statement was Hempstead
Town Presiding Supervisor
Ralph G. Caso, Republican
leader of the Board.
MR. CASO: " Ladies and
Gentlemen. I have just witnessed
the best act and
fete of walking both sides of
the street at the same time,
and, how you can say from
one side of your mouth that
you are against and then say
on the other side that the
elective school boards have
the right, is something that
I haven't got the time to
comprehend. In any event,
it is completely incon-grous.
Accordingly, I vote
to override the resolution
veto on the part of the
County Executive.
Commenting on Petito's
performance, Ralph J.
Marino, his Republican opponent
this November,
said, ' that's the kind of
double - talk and doublethink
we're used to getting
from Petito at Town Hall.
It's unfortunate that the
Lent- Goldstein Bill didn't
win unanimous endorsement
by the Board of Supervisors.
The bill had
been passed by the State
Senate and I know the
Democratic c o n t r o l l ed
State Assembly was watching
to see the position taken
by Nassau's board. I am
confident that its lack of
unanimous support in Nassau
was one of toe major
reasons for the Assembly
killing the bill.
" Personally, I strongly
support the neighborhood
school concept. As a former
school board member
I believe that independent
school districts should not
be tampered with by the
State. Busing little children
miles away from their
homes accomplishes no
social purpose and it disrupts
their lives."
recommendations of their own
department heads whom they appointed.
It is obvious to me that
the Town Comptroller doesnt
understand the intent of a Capital
Budget or else he is engaging
in an irresponsible political
maneuver which is designed to
confuse the public about the 1968
Preliminary Budget. I think its
much more than coincidence that
the Board suddenly discusses the
Capital Budget five- months after
I produce an Annual Budget which
would give our taxpayers a tax
reduction."
Petito proposed the Town's
first Capital Budget last April,
a document which won toe praise
of the Municipal Finance Officers
Association and other business
and professional groups. The
Supervisor pointed out that expenditures
from 1961 through
1966 by Republican administrations
for capital programs
came to some 45- miIlion dollars,
the same figure proposed in his
Capital Budget of 1967. " Now they
say let's cut some 18- million
dollars out of needed projects
ranging to 1972," Petito concluded.
" It's just too cynical to
be believed and I dont think our
residents will be fooled for one
minute by their desperate maneuvering.
Obviously we have members
of Town departments who
should consider other fields of
endeavor since they dont understand
Town government at all."
Service Station Robbed
James Lagattollo, an attendant'
at the CITGO service station located
at 975 North Broadway,
North Massapequa reported a
burglary of $ 50 in currency
to the Nassau County Police.
Pequn Youngster Stabbed
A seven year old Massapequa
boy was stabbed by an unknown
white male while playing in a
wooded area at the foot of New
Hampshire Avenue and Parkside
Boulevard.
The youngster was treated at
the offices of Dr. David Alton.
Seventh Precinct detectives
are investigating.
Juvenile Charged With Arson
A Massapequa juvenile was arrested
by the arson squad of the
Seventh Precinct Police for setting
fire to the football stands
at the Massapequa High School
Athletic field. He was cl
with, criminal mischief.
Hold Parents Orientation Meeting
Leonard C. Marino, Director
of Guidance at Farmingdale
Senior High School, will conduct
an orientation meeting for parents
of 10th graders and new students,
at toe PTA Meeting on
Thursday evening, September
28th at 8: 30 p. m. in Guilford Hall
at toe High School
Parents are invited to toe
meeting to meet toe new
counselors who will be handling
toe tenth grade students this
year.
Coffee and cake will be served
in toe cafeteria.
Library Offers Community Directory
Copies of the 1967- 68 Plain-edge
Community Directory are
now available at the Plainedge
Public Library.
The directory, updated each
year, is prepared by the library
as a community service and
contains emergency telephone
numbers for police and fire departments;
a list of national,
state, county and township representatives;
telephone numbers
for federal, state and county
community service agencies; and
a complete listing of all organizations
in the Plainedge area.
The organization listings include
toe names, addresses and telephone
numbers of leaders of the
various groups. Local churches,
synagogues, schools, PTA's,
youth clubs and general social
service and fraternal organizations
are also included.
Copies are available, at no
charge, at the adult desk in the
library.
Town Offers Free Transportation
To Senior Citizens Seminars
The Oyster Bay Town Recreation
Department is offering
free transportation to senior citizens
desiring to attend any of the
four College Days for Senior Citizens
seminars held at Nassau
Community College.
Marino said that those interested
should contact the recreation
department for applications
so they can request
bus transportation and designate
a pick- up location.
The Seminars, made possible
under a Title I grant of the Fed- •
eral Higher Education Act of
1965, will be given September
26, October 17, November 6 and
November 28. They are divided
into 10: 15 to 11: 45 ajn. and
afternoon 1: 15 to 2: 45 pan. sessions
on such diversified topics
as Contemporary Political World
Appreciation of Classical Literature,
Comparative Education
and Understanding Human Relations.
Applications for free transportation
should be obtained from
the Oyster Bay Department of
Recreation, 7800 Jericho Turnpike,
Woodbury. Forms for the
seminars can be obtained from
Nassau Community College.
Paid for by Cunmtlcc to preserve Neighborhood Schoolb
Scholarships Available
From Cultural Arts Group
Page2
Mrs. Joan Bergman and Mrs.
Barbara Sepe, Co- Chairmen,
announced that the Cultural Arts
Committee of the Farmingdale
Youth Council will continue the
scholarship program for a limited
number of children.
The scholarships are available
to those children who are interested
in the creative arts and
who might not be financially able
to pay the tuition costs.
The Cultural Arts Program is
a non- profit, self- supporting organization
which began in 1960.
Hourly classes are offered in
Art, Dance, Drama, Music, Science
and Pre- Kindergarten to
all children residing in School
District # 22. Instruction is given
at the Parkway Oaks School, on
Saturday mornings from October
until April.
Cultural Arts is now accepting
applications for Scholarships.
Those interested in applying
should contact Mrs. Sandra Brenner,
Scholarship Chairman, at
CH 9- 4919.
Farmingdale OBSERVER Thursday, September 21, 1% 7
