Great Neck Plaza budget under 2% tax cap

The Village of Great Neck Plaza, which had given itself the authority to exceed the new state cap on property tax levies, has adopted a $5.25-million budget that stays under the 2 percent limit.

The budget, which reduces spending from the current year by 7.5 percent, increases the tax levy by 1.6 percent, village officials said. Mayor Jean Celender said the village has held the line on the general tax rate for the fifth consecutive year.

Residents on the north side of the village who receive service from the Great Neck Vigilant Fire Company would see a slight increase in their village tax bill, she said.

The board Wednesday night unanimously passed the spending plan for the fiscal year beginning March 1. It had approved an override of the cap, if necessary, in December.

Celender said Great Neck Plaza has worked to keep costs down by seeking grants and not replacing full-time employees who leave. Spending also decreased because several transportation improvement projects have been completed, she said.

“We’re not eliminating programs,” Celender said. “We’re continuing the same level of services our residents have come to expect.”