Northport Village board votes to pierce tax cap if necessary

The Northport Village board of trustees has voted to pierce the state-mandated tax cap if necessary for its 2019 budget.

Trustees voted 5-0 at their Nov. 20 board meeting in favor of a resolution that allows them to raise taxes beyond the state-mandated 2 percent limit if they decide they need to do so.

The 2019 budget is being drafted and will be presented at the Dec. 18 board meeting.

Deputy Mayor Tom Kehoe said the spending plan may not actually raise taxes or need to pierce the tax cap, but the board needs to approve going beyond the tax cap just in case it’s necessary.

“The legislation we voted on at the meeting allows us to prophylactically pierce the cap if we need to,” Kehoe said. “We’ve voted for similar legislation in the past.”