Lloyd Harbor Passes Budget With 4.5% Increase

unanimously approved next year's budget at their monthly meeting on Monday night, following a brief public hearing. The budget is expected to increase by 3.35 percent, and taxes will be raised 4.5 percent, compared to last year's.

Village Mayor Leland Hairr explained it was a "difficult year," and as a result, they were unable to cap the budget increase at 2 percent, as originally planned.

Retirement costs and health benefits for village staff both increased, a significant part of the budget increase, and as a result, cuts had to be made in "various other areas," according to Hairr. "It's been a real challenge in each department."

The current fiscal year finishes at the end of May.

The hearing was open to the public, and only one resident attended to talk to the trustees. Lloyd Harbor resident Bob Klein said he compared the proposed 2012 budget to one from 10 years ago, and noticed village employee benefits have grown 176 percent in that time. Klein said he came to meeting to ask the trustees what the village can do about it.

Hairr explained the state is trying to compensate for the lack of benefits from that time, adding that he and other mayors from the area are currently in talks with state comptroller Thomas DiNapoli to find a way to "smooth things out." The state comptroller is in charge of controlling the amount of money that goes toward pension and health benefits.

"Whoever is in office has a lot of power over how they deal with it," said Hairr.

Deputy Mayor Jean Thatcher agreed with him, calling the matter "very frustrating."