Proposed 2017 Southampton Budget Reflects Tax Rate Reduction: Schneiderman

SOUTHAMPTON, NY — Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman's proposed 2017 budget calls for a nearly two percent drop in the current property tax rate, he said Tuesday.

Schneiderman delivered his proposed budget to Town Clerk Sundy Schermeyer on Monday afternoon.

“We’ve looked back over the past ten years and this is by far the most significant reduction in the tax rate that has been seen,” Schneiderman said.

The supervisor said he worked to stay within New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo's tax rate, which allowed for less than one percent growth in the amounted collected by the town in property taxes.

The budget not only came in below the cap but actually decreased the tax rate by 1.6 percent, Schneiderman said in a release, calling his budget "structurally balanced and responsible."

Goals for the coming year include a focus on public safety, quality of life issues and infrastructure, such as roads and park facilities, Schneiderman said.

According to his budget message, the focus is on public safety and quality of life issues as well as improving town infrastructure including roads and park facilities.

Schneiderman thanked Town Comptroller Len Marchese for his assistance.

"This budget, as offered by Supervisor Schneiderman, continues the conservative budgeting of past administrations, while addressing some of our most valuable assets including employees, town infrastructure and park facilities,” Marchese said.

Included in the proposed budget are several new hires, including one police officer, one public safety dispatcher, a director of public safety and director of housing and community development.

Schneiderman said his budget also proposes consolidation of code enforcement, animal control, the fire marshall and emergency preparedness into a newly created Department of Public Safety.

In addition, the proposed budget creates an Office of Housing and Community Development as a division of the Department of Land Management — both changes were meant to address quality of life concerns, he said.

The proposed town budget provides $3.2 million in capital borrowing for road improvements and $1.4 million for park facility upgrades. The budget also proposes $1.3 million in major technology upgrades in townwide computer networks.

Although the budget calls for additional borrowing, the overall level of outstanding town debt is actually being reduced by over $7 million, Schneiderman said.

The budget maintains surpluses in every account, with a cumulative increase in surplus funds of more than $1 million above current levels.

Schneiderman reminded that the 36-acre Good Ground Park in Hampton Bays is slated to open on October 15 and be fully operational by May, 2017, featuring a 600 seat amphitheater, a children’s playground and walking trails. The budget provides for the additional resources needed for the maintenance of the park facility, the supervisor said.

Schneiderman will present the budget to the town board at a work session at Town Hall Thursday at 10 a.m.

Following will be two work sessions, on October 6 and October 20.

Two public hearings on the proposed budget will be held on October 25 and November 9.

The budget must be adopted by the town board or before November 20.

The full budget document can be viewed online at www.southamptontownny.gov .