EMFD Commissioners Propose Annual Budget Below NYS Tax Cap

The Board of Fire Commissioners of the East Meadow Fire District recently proposed its budget for 2021, with a slight increase that falls under New York State’s tax cap of 1.56 percent, according to James Surless, Chairman of the Board of Commissioners. The East Meadow Fire District is subject to New York State’s property-tax-cap legislation, limiting annual increases on property taxes unless changed by resolution of the board. The Board of Fire Commissioners estimates that the average homeowner’s tax bill will increase approximately .50 cents per month, or $6 a year, and credits careful fiscal planning and responsibility in helping to keep tax increases to a minimum.

“The Board of Fire Commissioners created a budget that is sensitive to the needs of our taxpayers, especially those impacted by the pandemic or living on a fixed-income,” said Commissioner Surless, who notes that the fire district tax is among the smallest portion of the overall tax bill, yet provides a vital service to the community. “We were able to balance the needs of the taxpayers with that of continuing to provide a high level of fire protection and emergency medical services that the community has come to expect.”

Factors that contribute to the budget increase include, but are not limited to, higher costs for employee salaries and benefits, insurance, fuel, supplies, unexpected expenses related to COVID-19 response, and costs necessary to fund the operations of the East Meadow Fire Department. Expenses incurred due to the pandemic include purchasing sanitizing products for all firehouses, district buildings and apparatus, and personal protective equipment for volunteers and employees. The budget also provides the funds needed to maintain the district’s facilities and grounds, including its firehouses, and keep its fleet of apparatus in good working order.

The Board of Fire Commissioners has enacted several cost-savings measures that include installing energy-efficient LED lighting and heating and air conditioning systems in all of the district’s buildings. A capital reserve fund provides the money needed to replace high-cost items such as fire and rescue apparatus, thus saving taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars in interest costs if the equipment is purchased through the issuance of long-term bonds.

The East Meadow Fire District was established in 1930 as a separate tax entity and is governed by an unpaid five-member Board of Fire Commissioners who are elected at-large by the voters of the district to five-year terms. Among the commissioners’ duties are statutory responsibilities that include levying taxes to support the all-volunteer fire department, which provides fire protection and emergency medical service to residents and businesses within the borders of the fire district. The East Meadow Fire District encompasses most of East Meadow, along with portions of Levittown and Westbury (Salisbury).

The Board of Fire Commissioners will conduct a public hearing on the proposed budget at the district office, 197 East Meadow Avenue, on Tuesday, October 20, at 8:00 p.m., after which they will meet to consider adopting the budget.

For more information about the fire district, or to learn about volunteer opportunities with the East Meadow Fire Department, visit www.eastmeadowfd.com.