2019 Adopted Budget

TOWN OF ISLIP 2019 ADOPTED BUDGET Angie M. Carpenter, Supervisor TOWN BOARD Trish Bergin Weichbrodt John C. Cochrane, Jr. Mary Kate Mullen James P. O’Connor Olga H. Murray, Town Clerk Alexis Weik, Receiver of Taxes OFFICE of the SUPERVISOR ANGIE M. CARPENTER Supervisor “The budget is not just a collection of numbers, but an expression of our values and aspirations.” ‐Jack Lew, 76th US Secretary of the Treasury, 2013‐2017 Message from Islip Supervisor Angie M. Carpenter As Islip Town Supervisor, one of my primary goals is to ensure easy access to important and accurate information pertaining to how Islip tax dollars are spent, and what the Town of Islip is doing to manage revenue and expenses in the most efficient way possible. I am pleased that, together with the cooperation and support of the Town Board, we have been able to establish a strong budget process. Working closely with our Commissioners, we strive to tighten department budgets as necessary, making certain that each and every taxpayer dollar spent is done with the utmost scrutiny. As a result of our fiscal stewardship, in 2016, Moody’s upgraded the Town’s financial rating from Aa1 to Aaa with a “Stable Outlook”… which continues to this day. We are proud to report that Moody’s has reaffirmed this bond rating upgrade three times, most recently in October, 2018. A Moody’s Aaa rating is the highest rating a municipality can achieve. The goal remains to continue our fiscal prudence and maintain our Aaa rating. All Islip residents should be proud that together, we have achieved this accomplishment. We are pleased to share this budget report for 2019, which not only provides the numbers, but also outlines the very important details and explanations of the Town’s operations. This report highlights departmental achievements, goals that have been implemented and reached, as well as plans for the upcoming year. In 1 addition, it provides information about some of the very important projects underway. The Town of Islip’s Capital Budget enables the Town to plan, budget and finance capital projects and acquisitions separate from its annual operating budget. The Capital Budget helps address much needed repairs to Town infrastructure such as roads, buildings, parks and marinas, many of which are long overdue. Protecting the safety of our residents remains a top priority, and Islip’s Public Safety and Code Enforcement continues to work to ensure the safety and well‐being of all residents and local businesses. Certainly, the costs associated with keeping our town, and the people in it safe, is money well spent. The Town has stabilized its workforce and is committed to paying its employees fairly to retain experienced and competent staff. The Town has implemented major budget improvements, under my encouragement, which benefits all. The Town has moved its quarterly budget and expenditure analysis to monthly reporting. Overtime continues to require preauthorization from the Supervisor’s office. The Town of Islip was the recipient of a $10 million NYS Downtown Revitalization Grant earmarked for the hamlet of Central Islip. A local planning committee made up of a cross section of community stakeholders has been created to identify the scope and breadth of this rebirth in Central Islip. The Town re‐opened Roberto Clemente Park pool in Brentwood in August. Two million dollars in state funding was made available for a Water Spray Park at Roberto Clemente Park, and a ground breaking ceremony took place this past summer. A site for a skate‐park has been identified at Roberto Clemente, which will be yet another feature at the park. We remain committed to transforming Clemente into a premiere attraction, not just for those in Brentwood, but for the entire Islip community, where families, children, friends and neighbors can gather and create lasting memories. We have combined our Department of Public Works with our Parks Department, which maximizes our resources in a cost‐effective manner. Our Division of Code Enforcement will be joining forces with Public Safety. The combination of these two 2 divisions is designed to streamline and maximize the enforcement process ensuring continuity, within one cohesive division. Economic development has continued to grow in the Town of Islip. The industrial real estate market is strong in sales and leases. Economic development in the Town of Islip has reached record highs. Through the first three quarters of 2018, the IDA has taken in more than $1.2 million in revenue, the highest amount ever in its 45‐ year history. To date, the IDA has approved 14 projects in 2018, with capital investment of over $128 Million, 645 retained jobs and 354 new jobs. The Planning Department includes the Town’s Building Department, which I am pleased to report, is open until 7 pm one night a week to accommodate our residents. The extended hours enable residents to secure swimming pool permits, solar panel permits and building permits, as well as address any other department‐ related matters without having to take time off from work. The “Bay Shore Bayway Corridor Project” is scheduled to begin in Winter 2018. The project includes infrastructure upgrades along the “corridor” that begins at Fourth Avenue and Union Blvd. (Bay Shore Railroad Station) and ends at the Town of Islip Maple Avenue Dock facility. Upgrades include traffic calming measures, decorative lighting, ADA‐compliant handicapped access, new curbs and sidewalks, bicycle paths, drainage, roadway resurfacing and pavement markings, pedestrian safety and vehicular improvements to the overall operation in the vicinity of the Fire Island Ferry Terminals. The Department of Environmental Control is planning the construction of a new, much‐needed and centrally located Animal Shelter in Central Islip. Recently, the Town’s DEC completed the installation of two solar farms, approximately 10 acres each, atop two capped and closed landfills‐‐Blydenburgh and Lincoln Ave. Personnel officials negotiated successful settlements in 2018 between the Town’s Labor Relations Department and the white and blue collar labor unions, balancing the fiscal realities of the Town’s needs while recognizing the contributions that Town employees have made. The Town’s personnel department has integrated a Human Resources module into the payroll system, which enables the Town to automate the tracking of employee issues and milestones in their careers, rather than performing this task manually. 3 Over the past year, we have continued to expand the internal maintenance and management of our three beautiful golf courses‐‐Brentwood Country Club, Holbrook Country Club, and Gull Haven Golf Course in Central Islip, utilizing the specialized equipment which has improved the quality and care of our greens. A re‐birth continues at Long Island MacArthur Airport. Collectively, three major airlines, American Airlines, Frontier Airlines, and Southwest Airlines provide nearly 20 flights daily from Islip. ISP will serve an estimated 1.6M passengers in 2019, an increase of 22% over 2017 levels. In October, we launched free WiFi throughout the airport, and plans for additional traveler services are currently underway. This year, a new 21,119sf and much‐needed Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Building was constructed, ensuring that Long Island MacArthur Airport has the resources it needs to keep passengers, pilots and crew safe in the event of an emergency, and meeting safety requirements that will extend the life of firefighting equipment by protecting it from adverse weather conditions. Tax payments can be made online to the Receiver of Taxes, through a new online tax payment system created by the Town’s Information Technology team. Quicker payment processing provides access to payment verification. The Town’s Youth Bureau served more than 11,000 youth under the age of 21 in the Town of Islip and expects that number to grow in 2019. The Youth Bureau provides innovative, research‐based programming, such as supervised after‐school, summer day and evening enrichment programs, positive alternatives, work readiness and life skills training, individual and family counseling, mentoring, tutoring, as well as drug, gang and bullying prevention. The Town of Islip is celebrating its 335th birthday which began with a kick‐off celebration on November 29th, 2018. In anticipation of this celebration, Town officials lit the Town Hall Cupola for the first time in the Town’s history. We chose the color pink for the month of October in observance of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Our 335th birthday gives us the opportunity to pause, and reflect on our beginnings as a Town. It’s a chance to contemplate the evolution of this great Town that we call home, to consider the changes we have experienced, and appreciate where we are today. 4 We look forward to bringing the Town into the future, remaining steadfast on creating even more opportunities for residents to enjoy their town, for businesses to thrive and prosper, and to embrace a new and evolving future. I look forward to continuing to work in partnership with my colleagues on the Islip Town Board, our commissioners, department heads, other government officials, residents, businesses, community and civic leaders, as we share our vision for the future of the Town of Islip. I invite all in the Islip community to become active participants in planning and shaping the future of our town. I would once again like to thank all involved for their cooperation and efforts in delivering this comprehensive 2019 Budget, and for their untiring efforts in providing the level and quality of services and support Islip taxpayers have come to expect and deserve while living and working in our great town. Warmest Regards, Angie M. Carpenter Islip Town Supervisor 5 * Special Town Major School/Library County Districts Funds 66.7% 14.1% 9.7% 5.1% Garbage District 4.4% * The percentages reflected above may vary for each residential property depending upon taxing jurisdiction, ie: school districts, fire district, etc., and are based upon an average Tax Bill for the Hamlet of East Islip.

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