Supervisor Kaiman Delivers

Third Annual State of the Town Address

Strong Finances, Renovated Parks, Cleaner Streets

Mark Successful 2005 for North Hempstead

Inter-municipal Cooperation, Community Based Planning,

and 311/TOWNSTAT Highlight Second Term Goals

Immediate Release - Contact: David Chauvin - February 9, 2006 (516) 869-7794

Roslyn, NY - North Hempstead Supervisor Jon Kaiman delivered his third State of the Town address today which highlighted strong finances, renovated parks, and more accessible government. The event, which was hosted by the League of Women Voters of Port Washington-Manhasset, was followed by a brief question and answer session from the crowd. The Supervisor outlined three major initiatives for his second term: intermunicipal cooperation, community based planning, and the Town’s new 311/TOWNSTAT system.

“The state of the Town is excellent,” declared Supervisor Kaiman. “Our goals have been and continue to be to watch every dollar, bring in outside resources whenever we can and provide the highest level of services and programs possible. Even while the town reinvests millions of dollars in our parks, our roads, and overall infrastructure, we continue to spend down our debt burden and maintain our fund balance. In fact, our strong fiscal position has resulted in yet another bond rating upgrade, putting the town’s rating at Aa2, the highest it is ever been in town history.”

Moody’s Financial Services affirmed the Town’s financial health last year by raising North Hempstead’s bond rating to the highest level in Town history, assigning it an Aa2 rating. Moody’s action, which places the Town among the highest 1% of municipalities in New York State, underscores the confidence of the independent financial markets in North Hempstead’s fiscal management.

Detailing his agenda for the future, the Supervisor outlined the Town’s new 311/TOWNSTAT Constituent Response System. “The goal of the 311 system is that our residents can make one call to Town Hall,” said Supervisor Kaiman. “311 is a number that is easy to remember and represents not just easy access to local government, but an entire information and management system that is behind it.”

Also announced was a continuation of the Town’s Community Based Planning initiatives. “Community Based Planning is our approach to addressing community wide issues. We do this through public meetings, public notifications and what is called “visioning,” which is when we invite the community to come together to engage one another on a relevant issue, ” stated Supervisor Kaiman. Currently, the visioning model is being implemented throughout the Town of North Hempstead in a variety of communities including: New Cassel, Port Washington, Roslyn Heights, Manhasset, the Great Neck Library, New Hyde Park and Carle Place. Projects range from designing a local park to building a commercial corridor from the ground up.

Additionally, the Supervisor announced the establishment of the Town’s new Office of Intermunicipal Cooperation (OIC). This new initiative will look to build on the Town’s current efforts to pool government and municipal resources in an effort to save taxpayers money. “The office shall serve as a centralized resource for shared information, municipal planning, and budget analysis,” added the Supervisor. “The purpose is not to displace or diminish any municipal corporation, but only to establish a mechanism where economies of scale, shared experiences and shared information can reduce the cost of government.

“And so, the Town of North Hempstead is now utilizing our 311/TownStat system, Community Based Planning, and the Office of Intermunicipal Coordination to promote greater access to our government leaders, dialogue between neighbors and decision makers, and partnerships between municipal providers. “

Click here to read the Supervisor Kaiman 2006 State of the Town Address