Petrone Presents 2016 Proposed Budget

Town Hall Press Release:

Huntington Supervisor Frank P. Petrone proposed a $188,663,991 Town budget for 2016, a spending plan that remains within the state’s tax cap while maintaining services at a time when revenues are stagnant and fixed costs are increasing.

The proposed budget contains no new initiatives, but it does follow through on implementing ones that began in 2015, including construction of Sweet Hollow and Burrs Lane Parks and design and initial construction for the James D. Conte Community Center at the former Huntington Armory. The budget projects a slight decrease in the Town workforce, through attrition. While overall spending is projected to decrease slightly, the proposal calls for a $1.9 million increase in the Highway budget, reflecting increased costs due to last winter’s severe weather. That increase was offset by little to no increases in the other major Town funds, and decreased spending in some of the special districts.

In his budget message, Supervisor Petrone noted the difficulty in preparing a budget given all of the fiscal constraints, especially those presented by the State Tax Cap Act, which he suggested needed some adjustment to allow flexibility in spending on programs residents want.

“This 2016 budget preparation presented challenges and realities that will alter how the Town does business going forward, without important changes to the Tax Cap Act,” Supervisor Petrone wrote. “While the Tax Cap Act seeks to stabilize the tax base, it also limits our ability to enhance or expand services to our residents. Voter endorsed referendums, such as our Open Space Bond Act, that further our open space acquisition and neighborhood enhancement and green energy programs, cannot be brought to the public for a vote, as the dollars raised through the bond act increase the overall tax levy, and are therefore included in the cap…I pledge to lobby our State officials to look carefully at this provision of the Tax Cap Act, and to urge the State to amend it to except out of the tax cap any initiatives put before the general public in a successful referendum vote.”

Among the highlights in the budget proposal are:

— A slight reduction (0.2 percent) in overall spending.

— A 1.3 percent increase in the overall property tax levy. The levy is increasing despite a slight overall decrease in spending because of a decrease in use of Town reserves to find operations. Looking only at the three major funds (General, Highway and refuse), the increase for the average Town homeowner is projected at $29.16.

— A $15 million capital budget that focuses on improvements to the Town’s infrastructure such as rehabilitation of various plants and pump stations in the Dix Hills Water District to headworks improvements in the Huntington Sewer District. Funding is also included for road rehabilitation, drainage infrastructure and paving.

— Salary freezes for all elected officials and appointed and management personnel. The Supervisor also said he will present for Town Board consideration a Management Plan outlining various benefits for appointed and management personnel and setting parameters for items such as leave time and medical contributions.

A public hearing on the proposal will be held on Tuesday, October 6 at 6 p.m.