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Mostly Cloudy Village of Rockville Centre to propose 10.53% tax rate hike
Average homeowner would see increast of $285 to $3,005
In advance of its March 25 budget meeting, the Village of Rockville Centre posted its tentative 2010-11 budget on its Web site over the weekend. The proposal contains a 10.53 percent tax rate increase.
The $37.7 million budget, an increase of just over $2.2 million, or 5.9 percent, over the current spending plan, lists increased expenses in a year when property values — the basis for village tax revenues — are down, slightly for homeowners and considerably more for businesses. The tax levy — the amount the village raises through taxes — is increasing by 8.2 percent to nearly $24 million.
The average assessed value of a home in the village is $7,800. (The assessed value is a derivative, calculated by the village, of a home's value.) With the new tax rate of $38.53 per $100 of assessed value, the average tax bill will be about $3,005.
According to Village Comptroller Mike Schussheim, the biggest change in the proposed budget is in the state and police retirement systems. The village does not choose how much money to put into the plans; the amount is mandated by the state. Next year the village's contributions will increase by over $500,000. Its contributions to insurance, Social Security and worker's compensation are also increasing, bringing the total increase in employee benefits to over $1 million.
"I'm not happy with it," said Mayor Mary Bossart. "I'm not happy with the economic situation that we're in right now. The revenues are all down and expenses continue to increase. It's a very, very difficult situation."
The village will host a budget discussion on Thursday at 8:15 p.m. at Village Hall. Residents are welcome to attend and offer their opinions on the budget, which can be found at the Herald’s Web site, www.liherald.com.
Comments about this story? ACostello@liherald.com or (516)569-4000 ext. 207.
