A public hearing on the Babylon Village budget for 2009- 10 fiscal year will be held Mon., April 6 at 7 p.m.

The new budget calls for $667,000 or almost 8 percent less in spending than last year's budget of $8,537,235.

The Village paid off debt, eliminating $272,000 from next year's budget; $241,000 was eliminated for road repair and a change in the company that provides the Village with its Workers Compensation coverage saved another $101,000.

There are also across-the-board savings such as the line items for the Conklin House, payroll and others that the Village officials were able to reduce. Those savings helped reduce the impact of revenue losses, due largely to the economy. The Village esitmates that it will lose at least $60,000 in mortgage taxes next year, approximately $25,000 in the building department for certificates of occupancy, permits and other building fees, as well as revenue from investments.

Under the proposed spending plan, Village tax rate will go from $11.30 per $100 of assessed value to $11.61, a 2.75 percent increase or 31 cents. Thatmeans that a home in the Village assessed at $5,000 will pay $580 a year in taxes for 2009-10, or $15.50 more than they paid this year.

Mayor Scordino called the new budget a "pay-as-you-go" policy and said that the elimination of funding for major road repairs will only be done if and when the Village receives help through state and federal highway funds.

"In these difficulttimes, we did not want to add a burden to the taxpayers for these major projects until we were sure that some of the funding would be coming in from the state and federal government," said Scordino. "If and when we find out that some of these monies are available, we will make a decision at that time."

There are no plans to reduce services or programs in the coming year, said the Mayor. "We capped everything we could and we will be looking at everything as we go along."

The hearing begins at 7 p.m., and the public will be provided with an opportunity to ask questions and provide input on the new spending plan.

In other business, the Village Board:

•approved the expansion of the Post OfficeCafé into the building that formerly held Peter's Pasta, with covenants and restrictions (C&Rs) to be finalized within the next few weeks. Village attorney Joel Sikowitz said the C & Rs will include such items as hours of operation, garbage removal and limits on noise and music. The plan includes adding seating space and does not expand the restaurant's bar. "Thisis an existing business that we have worked with well in the past and we have every reason to believe that we will be able to put together an agreement that will benefit all parties," said Sikowitz.

•appointed David Parker to the Zoning Board of Appeals through February, 2014 and Jeffery Weber as an alternate member also through February, 2014.

•approved permission for the Babylon Beautification Society to hold its Country Fair, the Massapequa Runners' Club to hold a 10K run and St. Paul's Reformed Church to hold Easter Dawn Services at the Gazebo.

•approved customary pay increases of $1,000 for employees going off of their probationary periods, including Jeremy Sullivan, Chris Spicer and Rony Berret of the Highway Department. Also approved an increase in pay of 50-cents an hour for Judith Frances, Village Clerk's Office.