Increase Openness and Governmental Accountability

Too many of our elected officials and political appointees are putting special interests and self-serving interests ahead of the public interests. By increasing transparency, openness and accountability, Islip Republicans will put an end to the politics of personal agendas and put the interests of the taxpayers and constituents first. As business people, Islip Republican candidates look upon constituents as customers and customer satisfaction is their top priority.

• Identify one night per week in which town offices will be open to the public for inquiries, applications and services.
• Revise the Town Code to require that all elected positions in the Town of Islip will be full time.
• Eliminate town cars for elected officials. Will initiate a comprehensive review of town vehicles and usage to ensure accountability and with the goal of reducing the total number of necessary vehicles.
• Require elected officials to pay 10 percent of their health insurance costs.
• Establish a unified hotline in the Supervisor’s office where residents can call for assistance on any town matter.
• Place town board, planning board and zoning board of appeals meetings on the web.
• Secure Government access time from Cablevision and Verizon to cablecast town board, planning board and zoning board of appeals meetings.
• Establish a system of public Requests for Proposals (RFPs) and bids on the Town’s web site, similar to that employed by Suffolk County to ensure that town work is properly awarded to vendors providing the highest quality services at the lowest costs to tax payers with a local preference provision.

Provide Real Business Solutions to Hold the Line
on Taxes and Improve Government Services

As business people, Islip Republican candidates are not career politicians and understand how to deal with market forces and competition to deliver the best possible services. They will run Islip town like a business to increase government efficiency, lower costs, and reduce taxes, while ensuring that capital improvements are made to improve services and quality of life for Islip Town residents. Taxpayers are shareholders who have a vested interest in town government.

• Islip Republican’s top priority will be to lower taxes by running Islip like a business.
• Make living and doing business in Islip user-friendly through the use of current technology, especially in the building department, Clerk’s office, Code Enforcement, Receiver of Taxes, and Parking Violations Bureau.
• Hold quarterly meetings between the Town Board and representatives from the town’s fire, school, and library districts to promote the integration of services and reciprocal assistance, in order to reduce costs and decrease the financial burden on the taxpayers.
• Seek out lending institutions doing business with the Town to allow Town residents to pay for taxes and other fees and services with credit, debit or online payments without a fee being charged to the town.
• Use existing personnel to create a Division of Grant Revenue in the Supervisor’s Office to maximize the number of grant obtained from all levels of government, as well as non-profit organizations and corporations.
• Develop public/non-profit partnerships to overhaul the Town’s Animal Shelter to increase spay/neuter and reach the goal of creating a no-kill shelter for all animals that can be safely adopted. Opposed to Supervisor Nolan’s proposal to require mandatory dog owner courses for those seeking to adopt animals, as it will adversely affect adoption rates.

Creating Solutions to the “Brain Drain”

Islip Republicans’ have the hands on experience and their top priority is to create real solutions and work with other levels of government to end the “brain drain” through the development of more affordable work force housing so that our young families and seniors can continue to live, work and raise their families on Long island.

Too often our elected officials hide behind the blame game of federalism, saying it’s not the Town, it’s the County, or it’s not the County, it’s the state’s problem. The same applies to creating housing opportunities and incentives to keep young families on Long Island

For too long we’ve provided programs that applied only to low income persons. This has allowed politicians to claim victory, while the rest of us have wondered if government is really working for us. While these programs have helped some, the crisis lies with our middle class working families, especially our young families who are being forced off Long Island and many of our seniors who have long since fled the great place they helped build.

Islip Republicans have a comprehensive plan to end the “brain drain.”

• Use town zoning power, smart growth initiatives, our candidates’ experience, and by working with County agencies and other organizations to create new housing units.
• Work with non-profit organizations, employers and lenders to provide no interest loans for 1st time homebuyers for closing costs and down payments.
• Waive town CO, Street, Sewer and Tax search fees for first-time homebuyers. This could amount to a savings of hundreds of dollars, depending on the number of searches conducted by title companies.
• Seek agreement from Suffolk County and New York State to waive transfer tax and mortgage recording taxes up to $500,000 on first-time home purchases. On a $456,000 home this would amount to a $4,758 savings in mortgage taxes and $1,824 in state transfer taxes.
• Encourage Suffolk County to waive all filing fees for first-time homebuyers. On a typical deed transfer and mortgage filing, county costs amount to over $325, including a $5.00 Commissioner of Education Fee and a $15.00 Cultural Education Fund fee.
• Advocate for the expansion of New York State’s enhanced STAR program to apply to first time homebuyers for 2 years for homes sold up to $500,000. This would provide an annual savings to homeowners of about $3,000.
• Support state legislation providing that if a homeowner is 70 years old, has owned the house for 30 years or more, and has no one from the house in the school district, then they are exempt from all school property taxes. 

Leadership to Preserve the Environment for Future Generations

Government must use its resources and lead by example to help preserve our environment for future generations. Islip has a long-established tradition through its recycling and Keep Islip Clean (KIC) programs. By increasing recycling, promoting energy star buildings and by using alternative fuels, Islip will not only do its part, but will lead the way in showing that going “green” not only preserves resources and reduce reliance on foreign oil, but reduces costs to taxpayers.

• Provide incentives for the construction of energy star homes/buildings.
• Install solar power panels on town buildings to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and dependency on foreign oil.
• Will initiate a review of town recycling programs to encourage additional recycling and bring additional revenue to the town.
• Increase the frequency of contaminant drop off days.
• Accelerate the replacement a portion of Islip’s fleet of vehicles with hybrid and alternative fuel consumption vehicles in an effort to combat global warming.
• Increase the number receptacles in downtowns and parks to keep our neighborhoods clean.

Encourage Economic Development and Opportunities

Through its planning and zoning powers, town government is in the ideal position to promote smart growth, attract business investment and make available housing to encourage economic development that will create jobs, improve our infrastructure and enhance our quality of life. The Town of Islip needs to establish a framework that will be the model for others to follow for business development and future job creation.

• Provide tax incentives and work to expand economic development zones to keep businesses such as Entenmanns and the Silver Lake Cookie in Islip Town.
• Support the development of the former Pilgrim State Psychiatric Center using smart growth principles to provide economic development, workforce housing and recreational opportunities for town residents.
• Employ smart-growth programs in the town’s downtown areas to provide economic development and increase the availability of next generation housing.

Improving Our Quality of Life

Through its law enforcement codes, infrastructure investments, parks and recreation, local town government has the greatest impact on quality of life issues. Islip Republicans will work to ensure compliance with town housing laws and will make the necessary investments to develop the best town parks and recreational programs in the region.

• Will enhance current, and develop additional public-private partnerships, to provide revenue to make capital improvements at town parks and recreational facilities at no costs to taxpayers.
• Increase the hours of operation of recreation centers and town parks to provide our youth with safe activities that will keep our children off the streets and allow working parents increased access during the work week.
• Establish a “boundless playground” and full access park in the town to provide recreational opportunities for children of all abilities.
• Increase the number of housing inspectors and code enforcement officers.
• Establish dog run parks at appropriate town park facilities throughout the town.