Two town councilmen announced plans Monday to bring back a budget task force and pledged to seek a pay cut rather than a raise in the next town budget.
Councilmen Mark Mayoka and Eugene Cook spoke at a press conference at the Long Island Rail Road train station to emphasize the need for better budget controls and look for ways to cut spending.
They outlined four goals:
1. Drastically reduce a proposal to raise the LIRR station's parking garage fee from $50 to $600 a year
2. Eliminate the use of personal assignment of town cars, having officials use cars from a pool
3. Reject a proposal to raise the pay of all members of the Town Board and instead institute a 10 percent cut
4. Control the spending of funds in a reserve account and require a supermajority for all reserve spending votes
Mayoka described the town budget as "like a runaway train" that had to be stopped.
"I am convinced that my colleagues on the board will listen to logical reason and certain things will take place to lower spending," Mayoka said.
The task force includes Mayoka and Cook, who said they hoped their colleagues on the board would appoint qualified members to serve.
"It's simple," Cook said. "We have to run the business of the people. In these hard economic times, we have to be diligent in the way we decide to spend."
The Town Board has scheduled a public hearing for 6 p.m. Tuesday to consider the budget.
