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Board debates tax-levy cap, unveils preliminary budget that trims levy by $3.1M
Summary
Comptroller presented a preliminary 2025 budget that reduces the tentative-tax levy by $3.1 million through fund-balance appropriation, revenue adjustments and deferred capital projects; residents pressed the board on fund-balance policy, sanitation fees and equity between municipalities.
The Town of Mamaroneck board reviewed changes to the tentative 2025 budget and discussed a proposed local law authorizing the town to adopt a budget in excess of the state tax-levy cap if needed.
Comptroller Tracy outlined the revisions that reduced the tentative tax levy by $3.1 million. She said the board appropriated $2.3 million of fund balance — $1 million for operating and $1.3 million for capital — increased mortgage- and sales-tax estimates by $200,000, and identified $100,000 of departmental savings. Deferrals and reductions in capital projects contributed roughly $500,000 in levy relief. Tracy presented townwide figures: a preliminary tax-levy increase of 9.95% and a consolidated townwide tax-rate figure of 5.614253 per $1,000 of assessed value. Using an example home assessed at $1.6 million, she said the average homeowner would pay $9,269 across town funds, an $834 annual increase compared with last year (a 9.89% increase on that example).
The board opened a public hearing on a local law (recorded as Local Law No. 7 in the meeting) that would allow the town to exceed the state tax-levy cap under General Municipal Law 3-c when adopting the 2025 budget; board members noted the town has passed similar authorizations annually since 2011 so it can legally exceed the cap if required.
Resident Joseph Greco and another commenter, Michael, questioned transparency and how residents can review the budget online; Michael urged a deeper review of the town’s fund-balance policy, called for consideration of converting sanitation costs to a fee to reduce the levy (he estimated sanitation levy impacts of roughly $2.3 million), and requested a finance committee and extra analysis of capital and contingency lines. Board members and staff responded with timeline and document-location guidance and said the town would hold additional public hearings on Dec. 4 and must adopt the budget by Dec. 20 per state law.
By motion the board set the public hearing on the preliminary 2025 town budget for Dec. 4, 2024. The board also passed a local law authorizing the tax-levy override (recorded in the meeting as Local Law No. 7).
