Babylon Village to borrow $9 million for bulkhead repairs, new fire trucks

The Village of Babylon is borrowing nearly $9 million to make infrastructure repairs and buy equipment that officials say has been needed for years.

The Village Board of Trustees earlier this month approved bonding for $8.86 million. The largest chunk — $5.15 million — will be used for bulkheading repairs. Mayor Mary Adams said some of the work will be at the village’s main dock at the end of Fire Island Avenue, which she said is in need of an entire renovation, including electrical work and paving. Bulkheading is also needed at the end of Lighthouse Road for flood prevention, she said.

The next largest portion of the bonding is dedicated to the village’s fire department for the purchase of a new hook-and-ladder fire truck at a cost of $1.94 million and a new heavy rescue fire truck costing $1.27 million, with both purchases slated to replace older vehicles.

“Both of these trucks are over 20 years old with the [hook and ladder] truck not being able extend to our taller buildings in the Village and over at the beaches,” Adams wrote in an email to Newsday.

She said the fire department has been unable to find parts to repair their “outdated” heavy rescue truck

“Both trucks have been breaking down at times and the costs to repair (while trying to find the replacement parts) is not being cost effective,” Adams wrote. The two older trucks will be sold, she said.

The remainder of the bonding — $500,000 — will be used for phase 3 of resurfacing at the deep end of the village poo l, Adams said. She said the work will be completed before the pool season begins this summer. 

Adams, who has served as mayor since 2020, cited a lack of tax increases as reasons for the bonding, telling Newsday in an email that “much needed infrastructure improvements” had “not been addressed for many years” and the village’s infrastructure deteriorated as a result.

“Years ago, the Village did not increase Village taxes and our infrastructure suffered,” she wrote.

Babylon raised taxes by 6.1% for the 2024-'25 fiscal year and by nearly 10% for this year’s budget. The latest increase was blamed on higher insurance costs, which village officials said rose by $400,000.

Adams said Babylon officials now plan to concentrate on infrastructure needs. She said the bond spending will be for things that are “all a necessity.”

Adams said the village will not be retiring any debt this year. Babylon last bonded in 2023 for $2.8 million for sanitation and highway trucks, phase 2 of pool resurfacing, bulkheading, fire department equipment and a storage building at its golf course.

By Denise M. Bonilla

denise.bonilla@newsday.comdenisebonilla

Denise Bonilla has worked at Newsday since 2003 and covers the Town of Babylon, including the villages of Lindenhurst and Amityville.