At its March 4 public meeting, the Village of Great Neck Plaza Board of Trustees voted to repeal the override legislation previously adopted on Dec. 3, 2014. This is a step closer to taking advantage of the state’s two-year tax freeze program which became effective for municipalities beginning in 2015. The state program freezes residential property taxes subject to two conditions: the adopted budget cannot exceed the state’s 2 percent property tax levy limit and any previously adopted override legislation must be repealed.
The Plaza’s 2015-16 budget, adopted in January, remains under the state tax cap. The approved budget provides for increased spending of $1,111,866 to $6,449,260, largely due to two state grants awarded for infrastructure improvements: $838,000 for a Transportation Enhancement Program for the Shoreward Drive/Welwyn Road area and $675,000 from the NYS Environmental Facilities Corp. to rehabilitate Maple Drive surface parking lot with “green” upgrades. The village anticipates completion of two new grant improvement projects that will help revitalization. The budget calls for maintaining village programs and services at current levels. An additional project in the budget is installation of security cameras in Maple Drive and Plaza Centre garages.
Mayor Jean Celender reported Village Clerk-Treasurer Patricia O’Byrne submitted the Plaza’s requisite tax freeze information and the Office of the State Comptroller determined that the village has met both of the state’s requirements of the tax freeze program. Stated Celender: “We are pleased to have adopted a budget that remains under the state tax cap and to have met the property tax freeze requirements, thus enabling state tax relief to eligible Plaza residents.” She noted that the village “seeks to be prudent fiscally,” which resulted in a “healthy financial position for the village.”
The mayor added: “We are continuing our efforts to control taxes, staying within the state-mandated tax cap, while preserving vital services and maintaining our quality of life.”
