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City auditor outlines multiple scenarios for proposed override and potential property-tax impacts
Summary
City Auditor Patel presented three tax-impact scenarios for a proposed Proposition 2½ override—a narrow gap near $3.8–3.9 million, and a higher multi-year figure of $6.9 million—and demonstrated how each would affect sample tax bills using the DLS calculator; final levy impacts will be set after November’s tax-rate recap.
City Auditor Patel briefed the East Hampton City Council on June 3 about how staff calculated potential sizes for a proposed Proposition 2½ property-tax override and what those scenarios would mean for taxpayers.
Patel said the finance team considered several inputs—budget-to-budget gaps, an anticipated enterprise chargeback increase, conservative local-receipt estimates and an option to use $2.5 million from stabilization—to arrive at an illustrative maximum of roughly $6.9 million. She also showed narrower scenarios that would cover only near-term gaps (about $3.8–3.9 million) and stressed that the final levy-limit increase depends on revenue actuals certified in late summer and the tax-rate recapitulation in November.
Using the Division of Local Services online calculator, Patel used sample property assessments to show household impacts: under the narrower scenario, a $250,000 assessed home would see about a $362 increase; under larger scenarios the impact could be higher (her presentation projected ranges up to roughly $655 for a $250,000 assessment under certain assumptions). Patel emphasized the $6.9 million figure is a maximum authorization to cover multi-year needs and that the town would not necessarily levy the entire amount in a single year if revenues or other choices reduce the need.
Councilors sought clarification about whether authorizing a larger override would automatically increase bills that year; the auditor responded that the levy limit is increased only to the amount actually certified and used to balance the budget. Patel recommended the DLS calculator and said the finance office can post example scenarios for residents and finalize figures once year-end revenues are verified.
The auditor’s presentation was offered as part of the council’s budget discussions and the public hearing schedule; the council will continue review at forthcoming finance meetings and the June 17 public hearing.
