Northport board OKs $12.3M budget, 6.4% tax hike

The Northport Village Board has approved a $12.3-million budget, with a 6.4 percent tax hike, for the fiscal year starting March 1.

After residents complained earlier this month of a potential 6.88 percent tax increase, the board managed to trim $41,000 from the budget.

The reduction is contingent on concessions the village is seeking in one of its contracts. The board's finance commissioner, Trustee Henry Tobin, said he could not say which contract because negotiations are under way.

"We have several contract negotiations that are not completed," Tobin said, and Mayor George Doll "was able to make some progress on one of them in time to allow us to move $41,000 from the budget."

Doll did not return calls seeking comment.

The village has contracts with the Police Benevolent Association and Local 342, the Long Island Public Service Employees union that covers highway, parks and sewer workers, crossing guards, fire housemen and police dispatchers. It also has contracts for refuse and recycling pickup, and with the Town of Huntington to supply fire protection for three nonvillage areas (Crab Meadow, Fort Salonga and Asharoken), as well as for sewage treatment services for part of Centerport.

"We would not have approved this [budget] if we were not confident it would go through," Tobin said.

The budget, adopted unanimously Jan. 15, calls for collection of $9,181,760 in property taxes.

Trustee Tom Kehoe, who had proposed saving money through a four-day workweek and combining the fire and police dispatch functions, said the board looked for ways to reduce spending.

"The mayor and the board worked hard to get concessions on some contracts," he said, "and there may be additional concessions as we move forward. . . . It was time to move on."