Freeport Mayor Robert Kennedy is seen in this photo from...

Freeport Mayor Robert Kennedy is seen in this photo from Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2015 in Freeport. Credit: Howard Schnapp

Mayor Robert T. Kennedy has presented a tentative budget for the 2016-17 year that would raise village taxes less than 2 percent, or about $60 additional for the average homeowner.

“But I’m pretty sure we can still cut it down a little more,” he said in an interview Tuesday.

The tentative budget was announced at Monday night’s Board of Trustees meeting and presented to the trustees but not the public. As promised, though, it was available to the public at village hall Tuesday morning.

“There had been previous discussions and hearings on the budget, but I wanted to make sure the trustees had a look at this tentative plan first,” Kennedy said.

The total budget for the year, which starts March 1, 2016 and ends February 28, 2017, is $69,642,292. Of that, $43,067,402 is to be raised by taxes.

Kennedy said village departments were held to zero increase in their budget lines, and only necessary and mandated increases — including salary raises — were permitted.

“There was a more than $3.5 million increase in mandatory and contractual added costs, including almost $1 million in medical coverage,” Kennedy said.

He said the village has reduced “costs across the board,” and reduced “the impact of the mandated increases in pension, labor costs, bond repayments, property insurance, flood insurance policies, and reductions in federal and state aide.”

The budget, he said, will be finalized by January 29, “and we may have at least one more public meeting on the budget before that.”

West Babylon closing school ... Montauk dredging ... Fitness Fix: Deer Park Athletic Club  Credit: Newsday

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West Babylon closing school ... Montauk dredging ... Fitness Fix: Deer Park Athletic Club  Credit: Newsday

Updated 31 minutes ago Concern over Nassau-ICE partnership ... West Babylon closing school ... Slick commute ... SALT negotiations 

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