North Hempstead Approves $102.6M Budget for 2017

The North Hempstead Town Board and Town Supervisor approved a $102.6 million budget Tuesday night 6-1.

Council members Viviana L. Russell, Peter J. Zuckerman, Angelo P. Ferrara, Anna M. Kaplan and Lee R. Seeman all voted in support of the budget plan while council member Dina DeGiorgio voted no.

“Putting together a prudent fiscal plan for the Town is a challenge under the State tax cap, but I believe that we have succeeded in passing a budget that reflects the best interests of North Hempstead’s taxpayers, protects our environment and offers vast recreational resources,” Bosworth said in a press release. “We have a deep obligation to our residents to provide the services they expect and deserve, while also being fiscally responsible. This 2017 budget fulfills those responsibilities.”

Budget highlights include:

• A $67.2 million General Fund, a $35.2 million Town Outside Village Fund and $24.04 million for the 20 Town-Operated Special Districts.
• The budget will give many North Hempstead taxpayers a slight reduction in their tax bill due to a one-time adjustment resulting from the implementation of the Long Island Power Authority 2013 Reform Act. The LIPA Reform Act allows LIPA to make Payments in Lieu of Taxes and holds these payments to a 2 percent tax cap. However, the tax LIPA would’ve paid was left on the tax roll in 2016, causing additional tax revenue for the Town. Adjustments were made to the 2017 budget to return this money to the taxpayers in the form of a slight decrease in their property taxes in 2017 for many households, the Town says.
• The General Fund Budget represents a $5.38 annual decrease for the average household for those who live in incorporated villages.
• The TOV tax decrease represents $47.17 per year for the average household for those who live in the unincorporated areas of the Town. Approximately two thirds of the overall reduction is related to a one-time LIPA adjustment.
• Several Town units will be repositioned under different Town departments to better align services and increase efficiency. These changes include repositioning the Town’s Security division moving from Public Safety to under the Parks and Recreation Department, as well as moving Purchasing, Grants and TownStat to under the Supervisor's Office.
• The Town’s snow removal budget received additional funding for 2017. It will pursue environmental initiatives, including money for the Office of Sustainability to fund an inter-municipal program aimed at reducing contaminated storm-water runoff into the Town’s bays and estuaries.
• Town says it will cease its reliance on the State’s pension loan program in 2017 and continue to reduce its debt.
• Parks and Recreation Department will continue to provide concerts, multicultural events and recreational opportunities. Programming by the Department of Community Services will continue. Services provided to senior citizens through the Department of Services for the Aging and its Project Independence program will continue to provide numerous services and programs for the Town’s seniors, including transportation services for grocery shopping and doctor appointments.

The Town’s Solid Waste Management Authority’s $17.8 million budget also passed unanimously.

Wall Street bond rating agency Moody's Investors Service, Inc., reaffirmed the Town’s Aa1 rating with a positive outlook. These ratings translate into lower interest rates on Town borrowing and savings for taxpayers, the Town says.

Patch photo