Bellport trustees to consider tax hike

Bellport's village trustees Monday night will consider a budget that officials say will raise taxes by 8.4 percent or more.

The average Bellport homeowner paid about $1,000 in village taxes under the $4.4-million budget for the current fiscal year, and the proposed $4.5 million budget would add about $84 to that bill, said village clerk Scott Augustine. The budget is for the fiscal year starting June 1 and ending May 31, 2012.

Village officials said they expect the hearing to be well-attended.

Mayor David Pate -- whose original budget proposal called for a 14 percent tax hike -- said rising medical and pension costs necessitates the increase, which could go as high as 12 percent.

"There is no more room for any error or additional burdens," he said. "We have cut the budget to the bone."

Trustee Alison Neumann said the board is "looking to keep . . . [the tax increase] as low as possible," but added that a tax hike is unavoidable. She said the village has approved double-digit tax increases in recent years largely because of the rising cost of retirement contributions.

The town has about 20 employees, 11 of whom qualify for pensions, Neumann said.

Neumann said the village struggled to keep the tax hike as small as possible, but added that it will still be a burden for many residents.

"It certainly doesn't give you a warm, fuzzy feeling," she said. "You have to cut your costs because you're not going to make it work otherwise."

The public hearing is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Bellport Community Center, at 4 Bell St. The trustees could vote on the budget after the hearing; state law requires the budget to be adopted by May 1.