The Hempstead Town Board approved a 12.1% tax levy increase last week, raising the levy from $346.8 million to $389 million in 2025.
The preliminary budget, approved by the town board Oct. 1 increases taxes by $5 a year for homeowners in incorporated areas and $65 a year for unincorporated areas.
The state’s property tax cap limits the annual growth of property taxes levied by local governments and school districts to 2%, or the rate of inflation, whichever is less. The tax levy cannot exceed the cap unless 60% of voters or 6% of the total voting power of the governing body approves such an increase.
In a vote of 6-0, the board approved piercing the state’s 2% tax cap for the first time since it was implemented 13 years ago.
Under the 2025 budget, town spending would increase from $522.5 million to just under $550 million.
Town Comptroller John Mastromarino said Hempstead has been able to postpone tax increases over the past couple of years by using reserve funds. However, he said those funds are running out.
“We could have raised taxes, but instead we decided to use the extent that we could use with the reserves,” Mastromarino said. “The reserves were used, the taxpayers were protected and it’s now at a point where we just can’t do it anymore because of increases that were mandated from the state, pensions, health insurance. We’re paying more to dispose of our garbage and all these things have piled up.”
At the hearing, community members pointed out that Councilman Christopher Schneider, a Republican running in a town board election in November, was absent for the hearings and votes. Some said he “conveniently” missed the vote to raise taxes to avoid scrutiny when he faces former Nassau County Legislator Kevan Abrahams, Democratic nominee for the Town of Hempstead Town Council, District 5, in the November special election.
Abrahams spoke at a rally outside Town Hall, hosted by Nassau Democrats, contending the board snuck this budget past the public.
“There’s no transparency, there’s no visibility,” Abrahams said. “They’re trying to squeak this past you. It’s called a stinky, weasel tax.”
In a letter included in the budget proposal, Town Supervisor Donald Clavin called the town’s $549.1 million budget “fiscally responsible.”
“I am extremely proud that we have not only been able to take them in stride, but also deliver significant relief to taxpayers,” Clavin said in the letter. “Under my stewardship during this time, the Town has a clear record of either freezing or cutting taxes for four consecutive years, and as residents across the Town continue to tighten their belts during this difficult and volatile national economy, every opportunity to save is more important now than ever before.”
The next step in the budget process is revising and finalizing the preliminary budget. It then must be adopted by Dec. 20.
