NORTHPORT

Northport residents will have the opportunity to comment on the village’s proposed $20.4 million budget at a Jan. 5 public hearing.

The hearing, which starts at 6 p.m. at Village Hall at 100 Main Street in Huntington, will allow residents to weigh in on the proposal, which would bust the tax cap with a levy increase of 3.27 percent.

Village officials said the final budget must pass by Jan. 31. Three out of the five village trustees would need to vote in favor of the budget to bust the state tax cap, which is about 0.45 percent, officials said.

The tentative budget would increase the local tax rate by 2.93 percent, raising taxes to $65.14 per $100 of assessed property value – $1.86 more than the current fiscal year.

The biggest proportion of spending would be $5.8 million in Home and Community Services, with $4 million of that resulting from ongoing sewer-treatment-plant upgrades, officials said. The village would be reimbursed for much of that by the New York State Environmental Facilities Corp.

Northport’s fiscal year runs March 1, 2016, to Feb. 28, 2017.

VALERIE BAUMAN

BAY SHORE

Suffolk County is running several classes in Bay Shore and other communities to teach residents how to quit smoking and using tobacco or nicotine products.

The “Learn to Be …Tobacco Free” programs are free to all Suffolk residents though there may be fees for medication for eligible participants.

“We are promoting good health to all residents in Suffolk County,” said County Executive Steve Bellone in a news release. “For those who are addicted to tobacco or nicotine products, we urge them to get the support they need to prevent illnesses that are caused by tobacco.”

“Breaking an addiction to nicotine can be very difficult,” said Suffolk County Health Commissioner James Tomarken. “Studies have shown that smokers who try to quit smoking using a combination of behavioral support and medicine are three times more likely to be successful than those who try to stop smoking without support.”

In Bay Shore, classes will be held at Good Samaritan Hospital’s Long Island Help and Wellness Center at 32 Park Avenue from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays from Jan. 5 through Feb. 9, with a follow-up class March 1. To sign up, call 631-376-4444.

In Port Jefferson, classes will be held at Mather Memorial Hospital at 75 North Country Road from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursdays from Jan. 7 through Feb. 11, with a follow-up class March 3. To sign up, call 631-476-2723.

In Riverhead, classes will be held at Peconic Bay Medical Center at 1300 Roanoke Avenue from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursdays from Jan. 14 through Feb. 18, with a follow-up class March 10. To sign up, call 631-548-6827.

In Hauppauge, classes will be held at the Suffolk County Department of Health at 725 Veterans Memorial Highway, Building C-928 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays from Jan. 19 through Feb. 23, with a follow-up class March 15. To sign up, call 631-853-2928.

In Patchogue, classes will be held at the Swezey Medical Pavilion at 103 West Main Street from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays from Jan. 25 through March 7, with a follow-up class March 28. To sign up, call 631-654-7168.

SOPHIA CHANG

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