Quogue Village Tentative Budget Approved; Spending up 2.6 Percent

Two board members shy, the Quogue Village Board of Trustees approved Mayor Peter Sartorius’ 2011-2012 village budget at noon. The budget calls for a 2.6 percent or $186,000 increase in spending.

According to Mayor Sartorius, the spending increase in the $7.2 million budget accounts for contractual salaries and health insurance costs.

“There are modest increases in compensation,” said Sartorius.  “The health insurance is always a big line item increase.”

Also affecting the budget, said Sartorius, is a decrease property taxes; however, offsetting the property taxes decrease is a increase in general fund revenues. 

The surplus, said Sartorius makes up for approximately 11 percent of projected expenditures in the tentative budget.

To make ends meet, the village will look to levy $6.1 million from taxpayers.  That calculates to a 3.6 percent increase in the tax rate.

For the average homeowner, the increase means an additional $1.8 per $1,000 of assessed value.

A public hearing on the budget will be held on April 6 at noon at village hall.