Amityville OKs budget with 9.71% tax hike

Facing pension and health care costs that have risen even as the economy remains stuck in the doldrums, Amityville Mayor Peter Imbert and village trustees have adopted a $14.5-million budget that will raise property taxes by 9.71 percent.

The deal, which will raise taxes on the average home $255 annually, to $2,955, eliminates the July 3 holiday celebration, chips away at recreation and village beautification programs, and introduces fees for some programs that were traditionally free.

Overall spending will increase 6.47 percent, largely because of employee benefits and a one-time debt payment on property the village bought at 400 Merrick Rd.

Village police officers agreed to defer until retirement an $8,000-per-employee payment for six months of overnight work they do every year, delaying what could have been a $208,000 payment. Starting salaries for officers also will drop, from $46,000 to $35,000.

The village will freeze salaries for about 10 nonunion employees to save $32,000 and ask for concessions in upcoming negotiations with unions for clerical workers and Public Works Department workers.

The budget assumes the village will join the New York State Retirement Contribution Amortization program, deferring $200,000 in pension payments.

There will be new fees on beach permits and the shade tree program, and swimming and sailing classes will cost more.

Also anticipated: $198,000 from the sale of three old fire trucks and the village's antique Packard. "Does it make me happy? No," said Imbert at Monday's meeting. "But without really killing the village personnel, services and everything we've become accustomed to, this is the most prudent budget we could come up with."

The higher tax is well below the proposed 27.41 percent increase officials floated two weeks ago, but meeting attendees greeted the new budget with more testiness than relief.

Residents complained that the spending plan always comes out after the trustee election and of "scare tactics" in the release of the 27.41 percent tax figure.

That drew the mayor's ire. While that figure was shockingly high, he said, the village had followed the same process in announcing and adopting its budget as it has for the last 30 years. "I'm doing the best I can," he said.