Village News

Mayor Gordon Fox and Village Justice Richard Braverman Hail Improved Accessibility and Convenience for Residents

EAST ROCKAWAY, N.Y. - The Village of East Rockaway announces the launch of a new online payment system for Village Justice Court, providing residents, business owners and other village stakeholders with an easier and more accessible way to handle payments. This new feature, now available on the Village's recently upgraded website, will allow individuals to pay fines, fees, and other court-related expenses online, from the comfort of their homes.

Mayor Gordon Fox expressed his enthusiasm for the new service, emphasizing the benefits it brings to East Rockaway residents.

"The launch of online payments for our Justice Court is a significant step forward in improving customer service and streamlining government processes," Mayor Fox said. "Our goal is to make it as convenient as possible for our residents to interact with the Village, and the enhanced website, and easy-to-access online Justice Court payments is a big part of that effort."

Village Justice Richard Braverman echoed these sentiments, noting that the online payment system not only improves convenience for neighbors but also enhances efficiency within the court.

"Our new online payment system will not only reduce wait times for residents but also allow the court to process payments more efficiently," Justice Braverman stated. "We're committed to providing the best service possible, and this is a great tool to help us do that."

The user-friendly payment platform is secure, easy to navigate, and accessible 24/7, allowing residents to handle their Justice Court business at their own convenience. The secure credit card processor behind the payment portal is AllPaid.com, a national company, that accepts multiple forms of payments including Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover credit, debit, or prepaid cards.

According to Mayor Fox and Justice Braverman, the Village negotiated a tiered service charge structure to provide residents as little as $1.75 for payments amounts to provide additional financial relief to defendants. As Justice Court is a part of the New York State Court System, it is legally responsible for collecting 100% of the amount due on fines and fees, thus passing the convenience charge for credit card processing on to defendants. However, Justice Court payments may still be paid by cash or bank check without any additional service fee.

The new secure payment system can be accessed directly through a direct link on the Justice Court page on the Village of East Rockaway's new website. Once selected, residents can find detailed, step-by-step instructions on how to complete their payments.

For more information on the East Rockaway Justice Court online payment system, please visit their official web page at www.eastrockawayny.gov or contact the Justice Clerk's office at (516) 887-6300.

Village of East Rockaway & East Rockaway Fire Department Implement State Law Beginning November 1 to Recoup EMS Service Costs Through Patient Insurance, Alleviating Taxpayer Burden and Strengthening Local Emergency Response

EAST ROCKAWAY, NY - The Village of East Rockaway is taking proactive measures to support taxpayers by harnessing the recently enacted New York State EMS Cost Recovery Act. This law empowers volunteer fire departments, like the East Rockaway Volunteer Fire Department (ERFD), to seek reimbursement from insurance providers for emergency medical services (EMS) rendered, rather than relying solely on taxpayer funding.

The New York State EMS Cost Recovery Act arrives at a crucial time, especially as ambulance services associated with volunteer fire departments now make up 46% of all such services across the state. According to the Firefighters Association of the State of New York (FASNY), "New York is the only state that prohibited fire department billing for ambulance services...The 465 [volunteer] fire departments prohibited from billing lost over $100 million annually in health insurance reimbursements. Until now, taxpayers had to fund those losses. Tax caps and hard financial times have forced many fire department ambulances to cease operations, primarily in rural and suburban communities."

According to East Rockaway Mayor Gordon Fox, the implementation of this law locally will remove a significant financial burden from village residents, allowing vital resources to flow back into the East Rockaway Fire Department. "Our village and its first responders have faced mounting operational expenses. By capturing insurance reimbursements, we can continue to support our EMS while reducing that tax burden on village residents.

"Rising expenses in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic have also stretched EMS budgets. For many volunteer departments, providing EMS at no additional cost has become increasingly unsustainable. In response, the Village of East Rockaway's adoption of this state legislation not only alleviates pressure on local taxpayers but also ensures continuity in life-saving services.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, emergency medical service costs surged around the state adding further strain on volunteer fire departments, some of which were forced to discontinue ambulatory services altogether, noted Mayor Fox. "Thanks to the EMS Cost Recovery Act, the East Rockaway Fire Department can now secure non-taxpayer funding through insurance billing, enabling us to keep providing critical emergency services without passing on the costs to our residents," Fox added.

Chief Shane Vesce of the East Rockaway Fire Department highlighted the significance of the new law, saying, "For decades, volunteer fire departments with EMS teams across Long Island and New York had to solely rely on taxpayer funding for services that could have been covered by insurance, Medicare, or Medicaid. Effective November 1, 2024, ERFD will directly bill insurance for ambulance services, ensuring that taxpayers are not the sole financiers of these crucial emergency response costs."

Vesce added that the state law mandates that funds recovered through this process be reinvested into covering EMS expenses, ensuring that East Rockaway Fire Department's emergency services remain sustainable and well-resourced.

"I'm glad the Department is harnessing this state law; this funding route is a strategic step toward more responsible financing of emergency medical services, enabling continuous, quality service to our community members," Vesce concluded.