Village News

Lynbrook Village adopts $39 million spending plan

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The Board of Trustees adopted Lynbrook’s budget proposal on Monday for the 2016-17 fiscal year, which reflects an an approximate $150 increase on the average property owner’s annual tax bill.

“We’ve worked very hard,” said Mayor Bill Hendrick. “It’s a very conservative budget keeping all services in place.”

The spending plan total is $39,413,767, which includes a 2.99 percent tax levy increase over the current year’s $38.9 million budget. Based on an average property value of $400,000, taxpayers will see an increase of roughly $150 on their annual bill.

The 2.99 percent increase is well above the state’s .29 tax cap this year, though the tax hike will be less of a burden in comparison to last year’s 4.46 percent increase. Hendrick explained that overriding the tax cap was necessary in order to preserve all of the village’s programs and services.

“We have locked in contracts on police, on DPW, on the office staff, and we have no more to cut,” he said. “We could have garbage [pickup] one day a week — we’re not willing to do that.”

Village Clerk John Giordano estimated that the spending plan will yield a surplus of approximately $8 million, which will help maintain the village’s already-strong bond rating.

Some other plans the village has included in the budget over the next year include replacing two police cars, planting of 100 curbside trees, purchasing assorted fire department safety equipment, installing ornamental street signs and playground improvements at Greis Park.

New this year, Giordano said employee overtime costs will be itemized by department to more efficiently track spending. The village will also collect approximately $200,000 in building permit fees for the new Regal Theatre. Full details of the spending plan will be available on the village website in the coming weeks.