Lawrence village tax increase, considering pot opt-out

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Much business was conducted at the Lawrence village meeting of April 8, ranging from adopting a new budget to setting a public hearing concerning the prohibition of retail stores or on-site consumption sites regarding the new state marijuana law.

Lawrence trustees adopted a $6,663,450 million budget for the new fiscal year that begins June 30 by a 4-1 vote with the lone dissent by Deputy Mayor Michael Fragin.

“It is not the appropriate time for these taxes because of the pandemic,” he told the Herald, noting that New York state is raising taxes on high-income taxpayers, a portion who live in Lawrence, and the village should garner at least $8.5 million from the sale of the former sewage treatment plant land at 1 Rock Hall Road. “The village is not short of funds,” Fragin added.

Mayor Alex Edelman disagreed and said that to help ensure that any financial hole does not widen as Lawrence has not had a tax increase in the past eight years and has dipped into its reserves the past few years, the tax increase of roughly $130 per homeowner is “minute” compared to people paying at least $200 per month for cable television. “There is no good time for a tax increase, but this is to avoid the inevitable and ease the burden,” Edelman told the Herald.

Lawrence officials held an auction for the Rock Hall Road land on March 3. No one made a public bid, but afterwards two bidders came forward. The village is completing negotiations with one group, Edelman said, with 10 percent of the money due when the contract is signed and the balance due within the next 60 days.

It is expected that at least eight single-family homes will be built on the 3.83-acres the village old. Nassau County retains a half-acre for an unmanned effluent pump station. Lawrence plans to use the money to build an aquatic center at the village-owned and operated Lawrence Yacht & Country Club. ‘The aquatic center will increase the profitability of the country club,” Edelman, said.

Officials continue to look into buying and installing security cameras, including adding a few to the renovation plans for Zion Park. The purchase price is $150,000 with the village paying $73,000 and a grant picking up the remaining $77,000.

Drag racing on Causeway is an issue and officials are following up with the 4th Precinct. There was a drag racing-related accident in Cedarhurst in March. The person survived but caused a tremendous amount of damage.

“The police are on the lookout for it,” Village Administrator Ron Goldman said at the meeting, adding that most of the drag racing is occurring on Friday night and Saturdays and the police have stepped up enforcement with tickets being written.

There will be two public hearings on May 6. One on a proposed rental dwelling unit law and the other on a proposed local law that is subject to a public vote asking the state’s permission to opt out of “any retail dispensary and/or on-site consumption licenses” for legal recreational marijuana sales in the village.

The May 6 meeting wll now take place at the Lawrence Yacht & Country Club, 101 Causeway, Lawrence, at 8 p.m.  

Reflects a second change in location of May 6 meeting.