councilmembers and voted for a new five-year capital plan on Tuesday night during the board meeting. Yet how that funding is used and where it comes from caused a divide in the board.
Kaiman explained to the handful of people present toward the end of the town's meeting Tuesday that the five-year capital plan is used to maintain parks and roadways, among other things, and that the bonding that would be voted on a little later in the evening is just for the following year.
When it came to the bonds, Councilwoman Dina DeGiorgio, R-Port Washington, and New Hyde Park Councilman Angelo Ferrara, R-New Hyde Park, both voted against every bond.
DeGiorgio explained before she voted against the last bond that she is not against most of the services that the town is looking to provide through these bonds. Still, she was voting no because she sees how much debt the town is in and that a lot of short-term debt is becoming long-term.
"Until I have a clear picture of what that's going to look like and how that's going to affect our debt service, we really shouldn't be borrowing additional funds," DeGiorgio said.
After the meeting, Ferrara explained that his vote against these bonds "is a symoblic vote to the board and the public that I take this seriously." He added that he would like to see more "pay as you go spending."
All of the other board members voted in favor of each of the bonds. These bonds include a maximum of:
- $115,000 toward grounds maintenance equipment to be used by the parks department.
- $500,000 for sewer system improvements at .
- $456,000 to buy and install computer software, hardware and security cameras.
- $74,000 to buy golf course furnishings and equipment for .
- $165,000 to make improvements to parks.
- $80,000 to buy a pump-out vote to deal with waste management.
- $400,000 to improve the solid waste management facilities.
- $200,000 to replace kennels.
- $195,000 for grounds maintenance equipment for Harbor Links.
