Northport Trustees give themselves authority to bust tax cap

Northport Trustees approved a resolution giving themselves the authority to bust the village’s tax cap, if necessary, for next year’s budget.

At a meeting Tuesday, trustees voted 5-0 on a resolution that will allow the village to surpass a cap currently projected at 0.68 percent.

Officials won’t decide whether to actually surpass the cap until after the budget process begins in December, and it would require a 60 percent majority vote, or at least three of the village’s five-member board.

Village Treasurer Leonard Marchese has said he anticipates that Northport will ultimately have to override the cap, citing five years of “very minimal” levy increases and contractual salary hikes as contributing factors to that likelihood.

Northport’s current budget is $20.4 million, which included a 2.93 percent levy increase, surpassing a 0.55 percent cap.

Northport officials must approve a final 2017-2018 budget by Feb. 1.

The new fiscal year begins March 1, 2017.