Kings Point residents target tax hike plan

Kings Point residents have a plan to avoid a proposed 9.8- percent increase in taxes: eliminate a villagewide surveillance plan, rein in overtime pay and control legal fees.

Members of the Kings Point Civic Association will use those issues and others to protest the nearly $14.57-million budget being discussed at a hearing Wednesday night.

The group also circulated a petition calling on the board of trustees to change the budget to eliminate the tax increase, or reduce the following year's budget to include a tax decrease.

Newsday reported Tuesday that the village is starting a project to install cameras and license plate scanners at all village entrances and compare license plates against state and federal crime databases, which include lists of wanted persons, stolen cars and sex offenders, for instance.

"Nobody has thrust the cameras on the intersections of Kings Point," said resident Barry Leibowicz. "It's simply a decision to spend our money without our input."

In an email sent to residents April 11, Mayor Michael Kalnick attributed the tax increase to a drop in property values and a rise in unfunded state mandates. One example he cited was a $418,049 increase in the village's contribution to the state retirement system.

Leibowicz said the letter contained nothing about discretionary spending, such as the 44-camera surveillance system. Kalnick could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

The trustees passed a $1.4- million bond anticipation note in August, with $1 million of it going toward the license plate scanners and video cameras. The proposed budget calls for the village to pay back $321,000 of that note.

The board of trustees adopted the budget on March 31 but decided to hold a second hearing after residents complained they weren't properly notified.

The petition and the civic association letter call for the village to maintain an active website listing meeting dates, agendas and other items to provide "real-time" transparency.

"My mission at this point is I want people to have information about what is going on," civic association president Marsha Rotman said.

Village Clerk Louis DiDomenico said trustees could vote to change the budget at tonight's 7:30 meeting in Village Hall.

If changes aren't made through the hearing process, they could come from the voting booth, Leibowicz said.

"I would hope that if they don't correct this, that we can galvanize the residents to clean house," he said.