Average Huntington homeowner to pay about $30 more in taxes, under proposed town budget

Huntington town is proposing a $229 million budget for 2024 including $1.9 million in projected higher fees from the building and planning departments.

The average homeowner will pay about $30 more for their property taxes. Town officials said $250,000 will be taken from reserve funds to reduce the amount that is levied to residents. The reserve fund currently has $9,977,873, town officials said.

The proposed budget does not pierce the tax cap and is a 4.09% Increase over the current $220 million budget.

Town Supervisor Ed Smyth said there will be no cuts to town services or staff. But he projects a 2% revenue stream by raising fees for items mostly involved with commercial projects, such as demolition permits and filing planning-related documents. He estimates an increase in building department fees will bring in an additional $1.4 million, planning fees an additional $350,000, and zoning fees, an extra $90,000.

“The challenge in developing the 2024 budget was to maintain services at a time when revenues are stagnant and fixed costs, health care costs and contractual costs beyond our control are increasing,” Smyth said. “We were still able to bring the budget under the tax cap without cuts to services.”

The general, highway, refuse district and part-town funds provide the majority of revenue-funding for services to town residents. The part-town fund is made up of services that are provided to town residents who live outside of the town’s four incorporated villages, including transportation and traffic safety, fire prevention services, zoning and building inspections, and planning.

Total expenses in the part-town fund are $12.5 million, an increase of .1% from the 2023 budget, town officials said. The increase is due to contractual obligations, town officials said.

The 2024 tax levy for the four major funds will increase by $2.2 million or 1.86%, town officials said. The 2024 allowable levy growth factor or tax cap is 2% with a tax base growth factor of .25% and an available carry-over that allows a proposed increase of 2.25% over the 2023 tax levy.

Smyth said building department fees were last raised in 2008 and planning department fees, including variance requests, were last increased in 2008. Exact fee schedules were not yet final.

Building department fees for permits for building, demolition, plumbing, and wireless antennae permits for both commercial and residential permits will be raised. Those who seek variances for such things as parking and side and set back changes can also expect to see increased fees.

Town Board member Sal Ferro, who was instrumental in overhauling the building department over the last two years to make processes go more quickly and smoothly, said the higher fees will be in line with what surrounding towns charge for the same permits.

“Being fiscal conservatives is important to us and we’re doing that while maintaining services and our triple a bond rating,” Ferro said.

A public hearing on the budgets will be held Nov. 2 at Huntington Town Hall 100 Main St.