Saltaire OKs $100 tax hike in 2018-19 budget

The Saltaire Village Board on Tuesday unanimously adopted a $3.6 million budget for the 2018-19 fiscal year.

Total revenue is projected to reach about $3.36 million. About $2.26 million will be collected in real estate taxes, an increase of about 1.8 percent, according to budget documents. With about 400 homes in the village, average property taxes would rise about $100 annually per household, according to a Newsday analysis.

The budget spends about $102,000 more than in 2017-18 and has an anticipated deficit of about $146,000, a shortfall the board voted to cover from its reserves instead of raising the tax rate.
Mayor John Zaccaro Jr. attributed the deficit to capital projects, including a 2008 beach project that will be completely paid off in 2018-19.

“After this year, $274,000 of annual debt will be coming off our books,” he said.

The deficit had initially been projected at about $611,000 and decreased after officials looked through the proposed budget, Zaccaro said.

“We take a lot of pride in going through each line item,” he said. “Some items we can’t control, like village overhead.”

No residents commented on the budget during a public hearing.