Final Property Roll Could Affect Budget Numbers in Westhampton Beach

The Village of Westhampton Beach has left its budget hearing open until April 18 with hopes that it will receive final assessment roll numbers from the Town of Southampton so the village can finalize the village's budget before the state's May 1 deadline.

On Thursday night, Westhampton Mayor Conrad Teller said the proposed budget sits just under the state's two percent tax cap; however, in the last month, the village has received several different assessment tallies from the town, making it difficult to finalize the budget.

According to the mayor, it is not unusual for the town to provide the village with different numbers since assessments tend to change.

However, in case the numbers come in lower than anticipated, the village did approve a measure that will allow it to breach the state's tax cap as the with a supermajority vote.

Based on the village's assessment predictions, the currently proposed $9.5 million budget calls for an increase of 1.96 percent.

The mayor says major increases include the budget's legal line; a mandatory $10,000 upgrade of police radios; and contracts and retirement.

According to Teller, there was some savings by filing vacancies by retiring officers or positions in the Department of Public Works.

The budget also includes funding for road repairs to Debbie Lane and Tuthill Lane and for deck improvements at Rogers Beach.

The mayor says he also accounted for an expected loss in review at the village yacht basin.

"The harbor master thinks we are going to run a little leaner this year with some bigger boats not expected to come back."

The village board is expected to revisit the budget at it's April 18 work session, which is scheduled or 7 p.m. at village hall.