Town of Huntington Proposed 2017 Budget Pierces State’s Tax Cap

The Town of Huntington presented a 2017 proposed budget that would pierce the state’s tax cap.

The Town Board voted unanimously Tuesday to pierce the tax cap and the proposed budget was then presented by Supervisor Frank P. Petrone.

The proposed budget is $190,011,856 and maintains all Town services at current levels.

A few budget proposal highlights include:

• The tax levy would increase by $3.2 million to $117.7 million, a 2.85 percent raise ($2.2 million above the growth that would have been allowed under the 0.68 percent state tax cap.)
• Spending plan would freeze all salaries and call for some positions to be eliminated through attrition.
• Would hold social, youth and arts programs at 2016 funding levels.
• There would be no impact to town services.

According to the Town, a budget within the tax cap (a tax levy increase of 0.68 percent) would have required cutting and discretionary spending. The arts, youth and social programs would have been cut and services, maintenances and hours at Town facilities would have been reduced.

Even after making those cuts, Petrone said he would still have to lay off employees.

“Early on in the budgeting process, it became apparent that conformance with the New York State Tax Cap Act would be very difficult,” Petrone said in a statement. “The Tax Cap was designed to curb wasteful and unchecked government spending by placing a limit on tax levy growth. I find it hard to believe that when enacted, its framers envisioned a situation in which adhering to the cap would impact our ability to deliver basic government services. That is exactly what municipalities are now faced with, as they struggle to maintain a flat tax levy in the face of increasing fixed costs.”

The Board set a public hearing in the proposal for 6 p.m. on October 19.