incorporated village??? For mastic shirley (Oyster Bay, Huntington: for sale, apartments, crime)

[MBres.]

Ok, do we really think this is a good idea? Our taxes will go sky high...I know people are trying to make it a better area but is everyone ready to pay the price? No one wanted the restaurants in shirley, we have all of theses new stores with nothing in them, houses for sale all over the place and more bad press then even the highest of crime areas. And who is this person in the what ever community club or revitalization club who keeps trying to run things when they cant even run their own life? Everyone keep an eye on the press before we pay more taxes!!!!

[Walter Greenspan]

Originally Posted by MBres.

Our taxes will go sky high...

This is not necessarily true:

Many villages (municipal corporations) actually have lower taxes after they incorporate as many services supplied by the town in which the village is located are no longer supplied by the town and the town tax can decrease more than the new village tax.

[rockypointny]

Originally Posted by MBres.

Ok, do we really think this is a good idea? Our taxes will go sky high...I know people are trying to make it a better area but is everyone ready to pay the price? No one wanted the restaurants in shirley, we have all of theses new stores with nothing in them, houses for sale all over the place and more bad press then even the highest of crime areas. And who is this person in the what ever community club or revitalization club who keeps trying to run things when they cant even run their own life? Everyone keep an eye on the press before we pay more taxes!!!!

They should definitely make the Mastic/Shirley area an incorporated village. It's a great idea and it may resolve the many code violations, illegal apartments etc., in the area. The problem will be, as it's been in other communities, selling the idea to residents. When Rocky Point was trying to incorporate last year, there was a sudden upsurge of old-school residents who came out and opposed it because they refused to pay more taxes. It's these people that will ruin the idea. They are also most likely the same residents who are breaking the housing laws and neglecting their properties. You'll never see the same residents who oppose incorporation at a civic meeting working to improve the community.

[minesbroken]

I am about to buy a house in Mastic Beach and think its a great Idea, I have come from two different towns with incorporated villages and both towns are very nice and have relatively low taxes. The thing is that you are almost forced to maintain your property, wich is a good thing. Imagine you buy your house for $150,000 dollars and 10 years from now it's worth 350-400 thousand instead...meanwhile the riffraff and the trouble makers are pushed out or forced to comply.
tell me this is bad.

[Johninwestbury]

Having a village doesn't always improve things, unless the village runs itself efficiently and is responsive to problems. Plus its another layer of red tape, like with the contract for Fios TV which Westbury still has not approved yet.
When the Mayor was asked about it, he got quite annoyed.
The idea of village government is a good one, it should bring control closer to the community and a more responsive government, but it isnt always the case.

[minesbroken]

Just because westbury has a greedy mayor who gets payoffs from cablevision doesnt mean that other villages arent run just fine. Northport, greenlawn, huntington,oyster bay...all examples of what I'm talking about.

[Walter Greenspan]

Originally Posted by minesbroken

Northport, greenlawn, huntington,oyster bay...all examples of what I'm talking about.

Northport is a village, but while Greenlawn, Huntington, Oyster Bay may be nice communities, they are hamlets, not villages, and as hamlets they are governed at-large by the towns they are in, which for Greenlawn and Huntington is the Town of Huntington and for Oyster Bay is the Town of Oyster Bay ...

[minesbroken]

Originally Posted by Walter Greenspan

Northport is a village, but while Greenlawn, Huntington, Oyster Bay may be nice communities, they are hamlets, not villages, and as hamlets they are governed at-large by the towns they are in, which for Greenlawn and Huntington is the Town of Huntington and for Oyster Bay is the Town of Oyster Bay ...

I never knew that, That is good to know. Although I have lived in all those areas and found Northport to be the nicest of them anyway wich even further proves my point. A village run the right way is good for the area. It brings in businesses, work and standards....rules if you will. and the rules are usually aimed at improving the area for everyone which in turn works out well for the property owners. Its a step in the right direction if nothing else.

at least I believe this to be so

[minesbroken]

incidentally Walter, have you ever done one of those hamlet maps you do for mastic/shirley/mastic beach? and do you have a link to it? I would be very interested in seeing it, apparently you are "the man" with that.

[Johninwestbury]

Originally Posted by minesbroken

Just because westbury has a greedy mayor who gets payoffs from cablevision doesnt mean that other villages arent run just fine. Northport, greenlawn, huntington,oyster bay...all examples of what I'm talking about.

Yes, I know. I was just saying forming a village isn't a solution to every community's problems.