Towns across Long Island are finalizing their 2021 budgets with some calling for tax hikes and dropping positions due to the pandemic.

Town of North Hempstead Supervisor Judi Bosworth says the proposed budget includes a general fund tax increase of 3%, amounting to an extra $9.56 per household.

"They can expect to have the great service North Hempstead always provides," says Bosworth. "There are no layoffs and no reductions in service."

In the towns of Hempstead and Oyster Bay, there will be a tax freeze for residents.

Over in Suffolk, the Town of Huntington's proposed budget has a tax levy increase of 1.94%. That adds up to about a $30 increase per household.

Huntington town Supervisor Chad Lupinacci tells News 12, "There will be no layoffs. We were able to accomplish that through retirements in terms of saving there and only filling necessary essential positions. This is a very good budget considering the unprecedented public health and economic crisis. It continues to deliver excellent services to our residents and it's a budget that will maintain our triple A bond rating."

The Town of Babylon is proposing a 7.9% increase, equating to an extra $83.82 for homes.

The average household would see a 7.9% increase. For the average home outside of our three villages that would translate into a $119.04 increase, and for a home inside the villages (which are a big chunk of our town) it would be and an increase of $83.82.

Brookhaven's $307 million 2021 Tentative Budget, which comprises approximately 5.67% of the average resident's tax bill, stays within the Tax Cap with an increase of less than two percent.  The average increase is $8.93 per household for the five major funds and maintains refuse and recycling costs to $1 per day.

Supervisor Van Scoyoc's budget, if adopted, would set a tax rate for those living in one of the town's incorporated villages at $11.98 per $100 of assessed value, representing a slight, less than one percent (0.15%) decrease from 2020, and at $32.30 per $100 of assessed value for those outside of the villages, an increase of 2.57 percent.Taxpayers with a house valued at $1.2 million inside a village would see a $1.26 decrease in their tax bill. Those with a similarly valued house outside any of the villages would see a tax increase of $56.63 in their town taxes.

Proposed 2021 budget $208,242,822. That's a proposed tax levy increase of 1.94% amounting to $30 more per household.

Proposing a 5.8% town portion tax increase that would cost homeowners $33 more next year.

**News 12 is awaiting proposed budget numbers**

** News 12 is awaiting proposed budget numbers**

Smithtown's adopted budget had an overall tax increase of less than one percent* (.88%) for all operating funds, without utilizing fund balance. So Overall, residents not within village boundaries will see taxes increase by $10.48 for a home assessed at $5,500.

The tax rate in the General Fund remains unchanged; however, the tax rate in the other major funds (Police, Highway, E-911, and Zoning) will see a combined total tax rate increase of 2.49%. For a home valued at $500,000, the tax impact computes to an annual increase of $12.00 for Town services.

"The levy increase is 3.86% but, we get credit for carry-over from last year and credit for a retirement offset because the increase in retirement contributions  (+17%) was so high. The estimated cost of actual taxes per home overall is about 60 dollars. Seniors and certain veterans receiving exemptions will see less of an increase."

Tax Freeze

The $138 million budget stays within the New York State Tax Cap. It includes $71.1 million for the general fund, $39.3 million for the Town outside Village fund and $27.7 million in our Town Operated Special Districts. The General Fund tax levy increased by just 3%, an average of $9.56 per household. The Town Outside Village Fund tax levy increased by 1.3%, an average decrease of $106 per household due to the county reassessment.

Tax Freeze