The Williston Park Board of Trustees voted 4-1 on Monday night in favor of a local law allowing the board to override the state-mandated tax cap on the 2014-15 budget.
“It allows us to go over the cap if necessary,” said Williston Park Mayor Paul Ehrbar.
Ehrbar said enacting the law would also protect the board if it inadvertently exceeded the tax cap.
The cap, set for 1.48 percent for municipalities by the state comptroller’s office, would allow Williston Park’s tax levy to rise to $4.55 million from $4.48 million in the 2013-14 budget.
The tax levy for 2013-14 exceeded the state-mandated tax cap with a 4.58 percent increase over the 2012-2013 budget.
“We try our hardest to keep it under 2 percent. This year it’s 1.5 percent,” Deputy Mayor Kevin Rynne said of the tax cap. “If we need to go over the 1.5 percent, I will do so.”
Village Trustee Teresa Thomann cast the lone dissenting vote against approving the override law.
“I am opposed to enacting the override of the tax cap until we have time to look at the budget,” Thomann said. “Until we absolutely need to, we shouldn’t be enacting an override at this point.”
Village Trustee William Carr said he is concerned about the parameters of this year’s municipal budget in light of cuts the board had to make last year.
“I don’t see how we’re going to get under the 2 percent cap,” Carr said.
Uttaro said he also supported the idea of giving the board leeway to exceed the tax cap if necessary.
“I’m going to vote to give us the wiggle room,” Uttaro said.
In other developments:
• Keith Bunnell, superintendent of the village Department of Public Works, said Reet Construction Corp., the village contractor for its current $2.26 million road repair project, will resume work on the project next week.
He said the Port Washington-based company had been given the green light to “mobilize” for completion of the roadwork, which was interrupted by adverse weather in late November. The project entails repairs on approximately two miles of roads in the village.
Village trustees had voted to issue $2 million in bonds for the roads project last July. The board is also using approximately $225,000 from the state Consolidated Highway Improvement Program for the project.
• Ehrbar said a new informational kiosk has been installed near the intersection of Willis Avenue and Fordham Street. He said the $5,000 cost was covered by donations and another kiosk is being planned for a location near the Long Island Rail Road station in East Williston.
• Rynne said the annual village Easter Egg hunt would be held on Palm Sunday, April 13, at noon on Kelleher Field.
