Babylon budget for 2025 approved with nearly 10% tax levy hike
Babylon Town Hall in Lindenhurst on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2020. Credit: Barry Sloan
The Babylon Town Board approved a $200.2 million budget for 2025 that boosts the tax levy by 9.9%.
The board voted 5-0 to accept the 2025 million budget, which hikes spending by 7.2% over its 2024 budget of $186.7 million.
The spending plan includes $21.8 million for the town’s 11 fire departments and ambulances services. A hearing on approving each of those departments' contracts with the town will be held on Dec. 4.
Under the 2025 budget, annual town taxes for the average assessed household will rise from $1,743 to $1,916, representing a $173 hike, officials said.
Town Supervisor Rich Schaffer told Newsday that the town had to increase taxes due to rising inflation, pension and health care costs in order to achieve a “cost-to-continue budget.”
Town Comptroller Victoria Marotta said next year the town will pay $2.2 million more for employee health insurance premiums. The expense will rise from $15.7 million to an estimated $17.9 million, officials said. In addition, labor costs related to contractual salary increases are projected to increase by $3.4 million in 2025, officials said. The town reached an agreement with its Civil Service Employees Association workers this summer that calls for 2% raises annually.
The town would have increased the tax levy further had it not applied $3.2 million from a surplus in its fund balance, officials said.
The 2025 budget includes 2% raises for elected officials. Schaffer's salary will rise to $119,497, while council members' pay will be $70,852. The town's tax receiver and clerk will each earn $109,666. Schaffer said the increases are modeled on union workers' raises.
Babylon's 2025 budget pierces the state tax cap for the fifth year in a row.
During a Nov. 7 public hearing on the budget, Deer Park resident Joseph Prevete said he was worried about the successive cap-busting budgets.
“We do put caps in place to hopefully maybe find other sources of funding,” Prevete said. “It is concerning to me that my taxes have gone up considerably over the past 20 years.”
The Babylon Town Board approved a $200.2 million budget for 2025 that boosts the tax levy by 9.9%.
The board voted 5-0 to accept the 2025 million budget, which hikes spending by 7.2% over its 2024 budget of $186.7 million.
The spending plan includes $21.8 million for the town’s 11 fire departments and ambulances services. A hearing on approving each of those departments' contracts with the town will be held on Dec. 4.
Under the 2025 budget, annual town taxes for the average assessed household will rise from $1,743 to $1,916, representing a $173 hike, officials said.
Town Supervisor Rich Schaffer told Newsday that the town had to increase taxes due to rising inflation, pension and health care costs in order to achieve a “cost-to-continue budget.”
Town Comptroller Victoria Marotta said next year the town will pay $2.2 million more for employee health insurance premiums. The expense will rise from $15.7 million to an estimated $17.9 million, officials said. In addition, labor costs related to contractual salary increases are projected to increase by $3.4 million in 2025, officials said. The town reached an agreement with its Civil Service Employees Association workers this summer that calls for 2% raises annually.
The town would have increased the tax levy further had it not applied $3.2 million from a surplus in its fund balance, officials said.
The 2025 budget includes 2% raises for elected officials. Schaffer's salary will rise to $119,497, while council members' pay will be $70,852. The town's tax receiver and clerk will each earn $109,666. Schaffer said the increases are modeled on union workers' raises.
Babylon's 2025 budget pierces the state tax cap for the fifth year in a row.
During a Nov. 7 public hearing on the budget, Deer Park resident Joseph Prevete said he was worried about the successive cap-busting budgets.
“We do put caps in place to hopefully maybe find other sources of funding,” Prevete said. “It is concerning to me that my taxes have gone up considerably over the past 20 years.”
Denise Bonilla has worked at Newsday since 2003 and covers the Town of Babylon, including the villages of Lindenhurst and Amityville.
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