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Pegasus
Administrator
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Posted: Sat Oct 7th, 2006 12:29 pm |
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The most alluring thing I think about being incorporated would be the power to control our own destiny. While being a part of a much bigger entity certainly has economic advantages, there are issues relating to quality of life in our little town that can never be properly addressed by the town of Hempstead.
I am thinking about things like litter on Merrick Avenue in town and the lack of a cohesive plan to keep our streets and children safe. I am thinking about zoning for commerical areas such as the disgrace known as Benson Avenue. I am thinking about having community leaders with a vested interest in this town because they live here and they are raising their families here.
By the way, I know some local politicians do live here and they by and large do a great job for us. But that is just an inkling of what we could have if we were allowed to elect our own Mayor and others. Yes, there would be beauracratic waist but in my opinion the benefits would far and away outway the costs.
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MJL
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| Joined: | Tue Jan 17th, 2006 |
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Posted: Fri Oct 6th, 2006 10:09 pm |
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I believe that Bellmore-Merrick is one Central High School District so the numbers there are more/less the same.
As for Elementary schools, I totally agree! The Merrick elementary school program is sorely lacking for a district of these means. Budgets are almost never voted down, but what happens to the money? We have a behemoth library building which is mostly empty. What was the point of that. A community center with an indoor pool would have made a heck of a lot more sense.
Our districts' classroom teachers seem technologically challenged with very few classrooms using computers or teaching useful computer skills. I have been to many school board meetings, and I can tell you that VERY few people are ever there. Policy is set and moines are allocated with no public input.
As for excessive bureaucratic jobs and paper pushers...they're everywhere!
I don't think that's a reason not to incorporate. I think a central town council made up of homeowners would be a welcome shot in the arm for Merrick. The problem with the business district is that the property owners and business owners mostly are out-of-towners and as for Main Street and the Merrick Mall, they don't care if the buildings are vacant. They will wait to get what ever rent they desire. At least in an incorporated village, the town could take steps to fine business owners who have storefronts vacant for more than 3 months, or refuse to clean up the sidewalks in front of their shops. The town of Hempstead is just too big. Nothing timely ever gets done on a local basis. I am very interested and open to discussions of incorporation, I think it might be really good for our town.
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Konnie
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| Joined: | Fri Oct 6th, 2006 |
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Posted: Fri Oct 6th, 2006 07:09 pm |
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You correctly stated that incorporation may mean some additional benefits but for sure the money needs to come from somewhere and to be more specific from our pockets. But in fact this is probably what Towm of Hempstead wants. Once this is in place they may gradually faze out the services until you still get the same services but many of them come from the incorporated village rather than the town. So in reallity you pay extra to retain the same services. Along the way this produces a bunch of beurocratic jobs for the area. Lots of paper pushers to account for new taxes make budgets, file and approve, essentially the stuff that is now done buy Hempstead. My in-laws live in the incorporated village of Freeport and need to pay almost $2K a year for this pleasure but at least their village owns own electric plant (polluting all around) that insured that they had electricity during blackout. I moved to Merrick a couple of years ago and noticed that Merrick began loosing the edge over other towns. The school ratings decline steady in each year (our High School now rated around #300 in the country, and Grammar Schools declined from being Excellent to Good). As for above average town in a county that has second highest taxes in the country it certainly in not enough. If you think that having your own police officers change anything than I must disagree. Police officer does not care where his salary comes. Why adding additional burden on you and I if the town already pays for it. Lets fix what's broken and leave the things that work alone. In recent years I noticed that the schools declined, now Bellomre is head to head with Merrick....or in my opining surpassed Merrick. They offer lanuguage in all grades of Grammar School, and Merrick does not even have kitchens and if you do not send your kid with lunch they will eat pizza or chinese. All businesses seem to vacate the town which means that the tax income declines. Lets start fixing what is broken.
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Konnie
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| Joined: | Fri Oct 6th, 2006 |
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Posted: Fri Oct 6th, 2006 07:09 pm |
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Last edited on Fri Oct 6th, 2006 07:10 pm by Konnie
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Pegasus
Administrator
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Posted: Tue Jan 17th, 2006 06:16 pm |
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Well from what I understand it would mean that Merrick would be like Rockville Center which has it's own Police force and give us more independence from the Town of Hempstead.
Since the Town does not seem to care too much about Merrick this could be a really good thing! Not sure if that means lower taxes or just more control of how the money get's spent
That was why I started the post to see if others would share what they know about it.
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Angie
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| Joined: | Tue Jan 17th, 2006 |
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Posted: Tue Jan 17th, 2006 06:13 pm |
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| What does that mean to be incorporated? Does that change my taxes?
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Pegasus
Administrator
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Posted: Tue Jan 17th, 2006 06:08 pm |
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I read in Merrick Life that there was some research being done on incorporating Merrick.
Does anyone know if this is true and where I can get some information about this?
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