The Levittown Public Library will host Hempstead Town Supervisor Laura Gillen as she presents the town’s tentative 2019 budget on Oct. 12. The presentation is part of a six town budget tour, culminating in the town’s official budget hearings on Oct. 16.
According to Gillen, who during her campaign promised to “right the town’s fiscal ship,” the budget employs conservative budgeting practices and more transparency while delivering critically needed investments in the town’s emergency response and special needs programs, as well as upgrades the town’s aging digital infrastructure.
“We have righted the town’s fiscal ship and have delivered a structurally balanced budget by employing fiscally sound, transparent and careful budgeting,” said Gillen. “My administration absorbed millions in unbudgeted costs head-on, and actually delivered a savings for most taxpayers.”
Under the proposal, more than 80 percent of resident homeowners will actually see an average reduction of approximately $14.28, or 1.88 percent, in their base taxes (General, Part Town, Lighting and Refuse Disposal) when compared to their 2018 taxes. The average aggregated levy overall will increase by less than 1 percent (0.74 percent). Under the former administration, the levy was raised 1.9 percent in 2018.
Gillen went on to say that the 2019 budget reflects zero pay increases for exempt staff, while maintaining essential town services at current levels. The supervisor’s community meetings to discuss the budget throughout the town include:
• Monday, Oct. 8, at 6:30 p.m. at the Elmont Public Library
• Wednesday, Oct. 10, at 6:30 p.m. at the Five Towns Community Center
• Thursday, Oct. 11, at 6:30 p.m. at the Rockville Centre Public Library
• Friday, Oct. 12, at 6:30 p.m. at the Levittown Public Library
• Saturday, Oct. 13, at 11 a.m. at the Bellmore Memorial Library
• Monday, Oct. 15 at 6:30 p.m. at the Roosevelt Public Library
• The budget hearings are set for Tuesday, Oct. 16, at 2:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. in the Nathan L.H. Bennett Pavilion at Town Hall in Hempstead.
This 2019 budget is posted on the town’s website at www.hempsteadtownny.gov/budget/2019-tentative-budget.
