The City of Glen Cove’s $69.3 million budget for 2026 was amended following the council’s meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 28, despite the budget not being on the agenda, leading to multiple city residents expressing their displeasure with the council’s decision to hold just one public hearing.
The city has historically held two public hearings for the budget each year before it is amended. The council met on Tuesday, Oct. 14, to present the budget for the first time.
Following the presentation, Council Member Grady Farnan moved to close the public hearing permanently and made a motion to put the budget on the agenda for the council to vote on it. His motions both passed with four votes in favor and were met with criticism from other council members.
The vote on the budget did not receive enough support to pass, as four votes are required by council members for it to be adopted, according to the city’s charter.
Three council members, all Republicans, voted in favor of the measure, while two Democrats voted against it. Mayor Pam Panzenbeck abstained from the vote as the charter prohibits the mayor from voting on the budget.
Council Member Daniell Fugazy Scagliola abstained from the vote.
The city’s charter also states that if no budget is adopted before the fourth Tuesday in October, which was the date of the Oct. 28 meeting, then the budget will automatically be passed.
“By the 4th Tuesday of October, the City Council shall adopt the budget with or without amendment,” the city charter says. “Should the City Council fail to adopt the budget by the 4th [Tuesday] of October, the proposed budget as submitted by the Mayor and as amended by resolution shall be considered to have been adopted.”
At the Oct. 28 meeting, the budget was never discussed, and when the meeting was unanimously closed by the board, the budget was officially amended, according to the charter.
The 2026 budget totals $69.3 million, representing an increase of nearly $4 million from the previous year. Taxes will not be increased, and the levy will be $33.3 million.
Last year, the Glen Cove council approved a $65.4 million budget, which included a tax increase of almost 2%. Prior to last year, city taxes had not been raised for three consecutive years.
Residents voiced their concerns over the board’s decisions during the public comment period, including Adam Lorenzana, who questioned the board’s transparency, repeatedly asking why the conversation about the budget was not continued.
“You are voted to represent taxpayers, to look after our interests,” he said. “I don’t understand in what world that happened.”
Panzenbeck said previously that she did not expect any changes to the budget between the first hearing and Tuesday’s meeting. She continued that sentiment, saying that the budget had a 0% tax increase and that nobody had complained about the flat tax rate.
Council Member Kevin Maccarone came to the mayor’s defense, saying that there was just one question asked at the public hearing that had a large turnout.
Scagliola said that if there is going to be one budget hearing going forward, then it should be advertised as such.
“It’s not fair to the public,” she said.
Theresa Moschetta, who is running for city council, said she was sick the night of the budget hearing, calling the graphs and charts that were presented “unreadable” on the city’s livestream. She too questioned the council’s transparency, even at one point, saying the decision to close the hearing seemed “rehearsed.”
“It was short-sided and premature,” she said.
