Village of Plandome Heights trustees approved a $447,500 tentative budget for 2016-17 on Monday, March 7 with a property tax increase of 1.6 percent, which is within the state-mandated tax cap.
The budget calls for total revenues of $447,500, a 1.1 percent increase over the $442, 525 budgeted in 2015-16, which includes non-property tax revenues of $122, 500.
The non-property tax revenues are a $25 increase over the $122,525 in the previous year’s budget and the property tax revenues of $325, 000 are a 1.6 percent increase over the $320, 000 in the previous year.
The village’s largest cost, sanitation, increases by 2.9 percent but reductions in other spending were able to be made to limit the increased spending to 1.1 percent, officials said.
As a result of maintaining property taxes within the tax cap, residents will be eligible for a refund of the increased property tax under New York State’s Property Tax Freeze program, Mayor Kenneth Riscica said.
The program encourages local governments and school districts to comply with the tax cap and develop approved government efficiency plans to reduce costs.
“By staying within our tax cap, our residents can participate in the New York State Property Tax Freeze program for our tax,” Riscica said.
Under that program, residents are eligible to receive a rebate from Albany if the village in which they live stays under the tax cap.
Riscica said under the budget the village was able to maintain current services, provide for the long-term needs of the village and avoid surprises by “planning beyond one year.”
He said the village was able to use its unused tax cap carry forwards to meet its increased costs.
A public hearing on the budget will be held on April 4.
