Brookhaven board clash over fines, fees

Some Brookhaven Town board members clashed Tuesday with the town's supervisor over increases to a battery of fines and fees, moves they characterized as tantamount to "backdoor tax increases."

Supervisor Mark Lesko, a Democrat, has said some of the town's fees and fines have not been raised in decades and are now are out of line with those in neighboring towns. The increases affect a range of fees, from the penalty for parking in a handicap zone to the charge for a permit to perform loud construction work.

In a statement issued by two Republican and one Conservative board member before Tuesday's town board meeting, Councilwoman Jane Bonner said the town is "dipping its hand into the pockets of the taxpayers and small business owners still struggling with the slow economy."

Bonner, a Conservative, added that "residents should not be saddled with paying higher fees."

At the meeting, Lesko defended the fee hikes as justified and overdue. He said some fees have not been increased since 1987.

"Our fees are woefully outdated," he said. "Why haven't they been increased? Politics."

Tuesday's town board agenda included 18 public hearings on more than 20 fee increases. A handful of residents spoke during the hearings. Most of the fee hikes were approved, but a few were withdrawn or postponed.

The hikes approved Tuesday include the following:

The fine for parking in a handicap zone, up from $130 to $250.

The cost of a commercial permit for loud construction work, up from $50 to $500.

The per-day fee for redemption of dogs from the town shelter, up from $10 to $15.

Ernest Hoffstaetter Jr. of Mastic Beach said the noise fine seemed "excessive" and could result in some businesses skirting the law.

The increased fees could produce an additional $1.9 million in fee and fine collections in 2011, the Republicans said.

A spokeswoman for Lesko said the number is closer to $1 million. But the projected revenue increase is not included in the 2011 spending plan, town officials said.

The proposed increases come as the cash-strapped town is attempting to raise revenues in the face of declining landfill and mortgage tax revenue.

The town approved a $260 million 2011 budget that included the layoff of six highway workers last week. Lesko has said the town's debt service has reached 24 percent of its general fund and warned that if the town doesn't scale back spending, it will be out of money by 2013.