The North Hempstead Town Board voted Tuesday to certify that it had completed its review of the town's tentative 2027 budget, a step required under state law to convert it into a preliminary budget and schedule a public hearing. Councilman Triano and Councilwoman Dela Monte voted no.
Triano argued no actual review had taken place and that he could not certify one. The town attorney told the board that without the certification, the budget could not move to a hearing and the town risked being "stuck with last year's budget."
The supervisor said the hearing on the preliminary budget is scheduled for Oct. 28.
During public comment on that item, Stephen Sombrado, a Port Washington resident, told the board the Port Washington Water Pollution Control District is proposing a budget increase of about 12% for 2027. "The Port Washington Water Pollution Control District is proposing a budget increase of approximately 12% for 2027. That should concern this town board," he said.
During the same discussion, another speaker said public records requests filed over the district's spending in July and August had not produced any documents, saying the delay was "a little kind of hair raising."
We're keeping taxes down."
The board also approved, unanimously in each case, an honorary street co-naming for a fallen police officer, after a public commenter who said he had worked with him; ordinances affecting North Street in New Hyde Park and Pond Hill Road in Great Neck; an amended technology contract adding $3,445.65 for GIS mapping licenses, for a total of $21,847.71; and an agreement letting the Long Island Nets continue using the Yes We Can Community Center as a practice facility, including a former emergency-management room converted into a locker room in 2018.
Triano said he had gotten answers to earlier questions about the Nets agreement, including that the team's exclusive locker room was the converted emergency-management space, not a space used by residents. Kelly, who answered the board's questions about the arrangement, said it has brought in revenue since the team first used the site in 2017.