The Village of Valley Stream board of trustees adopted its proposed fiscal year 2026-27 budget of $52.36 million at its meeting on Monday.
The spending plan was approved by a vote of 4-0, with Mayor Ed Fare, Deputy Mayor Dermond Thomas and Trustees John Tufarelli and Kevin Waszak supporting it and Trustee Sharon Daly abstaining.
Village officials reduced the proposed tax rate to $58.23 per $100 of assessed value, from $58.55, after a public hearing on April 13 and additional discussions among the trustees.
The tax levy, the total amount raised through property taxes, will increase from $35.4 million in the current fiscal year to $37 million in 2026-27. That 4.4 percent increase exceeds New York state’s tax cap on municipalities of roughly 2 percent. Local governments can override the cap with a 60 percent majority vote of their governing board.
“There are many other jurisdictions that have been forced to override it, because, unfortunately, the cost of living for yourself and the village does not only stay at 2 percent,” Village Treasurer Michael Fox said. “However, over the last 15 years, we are at 2.4 percent.”
The decision to exceed the cap was driven by rapidly rising costs. Officials cited increases in utilities, health insurance and expenses related to storm response and infrastructure maintenance. Fox also noted that keeping tax increases below the cap for several consecutive years can create financial pressure that must eventually be addressed.
Residents raised concerns during the meeting about affordability and the impact of the increase on households already facing a higher cost of living. Some questioned why the increase was significantly higher than the typical cap, and asked how the village plans to manage similar financial pressure in the future.
Officials responded that exceeding the cap is not automatic, and must be approved annually, and that the current budget reflects necessary spending to maintain existing services rather than new or expanded programs.
Discussion also focused on staffing costs, including salaries, overtime and the use of part-time employees. Part-time workers are used across departments to reduce the cost of benefits, which are significantly higher for full-time employees, and staffing levels vary depending on operational needs.
Village officials also touched on revenue sources, including parking-related income. Valley Stream generates $500,000 to $550,000 annually from parking meters, along with additional revenue from permits and fines that can total hundreds of thousands of dollars depending on collections.
Some residents questioned spending priorities, including investment in the Henry Waldinger Memorial Library and other community facilities. Fox explained that major capital improvements are typically funded through borrowing, and are not directly included in the general fund budget, though related debt service payments are.
“I am very appreciative that the village does maintain our building,” library Director Mamie Eng said. “We are not the greatest building. We don’t have the Oceanside beautiful, big expansion. We don’t have a big expansion that Elmont has, but we are doing the best we can with the money that we have.”
Residents also raised concerns about long-term sustainability as the costs of health care, utilities and weather-related expenses continue to rise. Officials acknowledged those challenges, and said future budgets would be evaluated year by year.
The board confirmed that pool fees will remain unchanged this season.
“That’s why people who use the pool pay a fee,” Fare said. “People suggested that the pool be free. That would mean the tax rate would go up for everyone, even people who didn’t use the pool, which is why we said we had to keep those fees in place for the pool as a user fee. And just about everybody recognizes the fact that the pool probably looks better today than it did the day it opened. It’s terrific.”
The budget was adopted through Resolution 072/26 following the roll call vote, concluding weeks of discussion and public comment.
