Politics & Government
Brookhaven Town Passes Preliminary 2014 Budget
In contrast to last year, town board unanimously approves the 2014 spending plan.
The Town of Brookhaven's preliminary 2014 operating and capital spending plans drafted by Supervisor Ed Romaine were adopted by the Town Board on Nov. 12.
According to an abstract released by the supervisor's office the $252.4 million budget passed unanimously and boasts a freeze on property taxes across the town and no layoffs for town employees. Instead, the town has entered into incentive agreements with certain employees to go into early retirement.
“I am pleased to have the bipartisan support of the entire Town Board,” Supervisor Romaine stated in a release. “This is a big step forward as we continue to manage the Town’s finances in a more fiscally responsible manner that does not burden the taxpayer."
Some of the highlights of the tentative budget include:
- No increase in property taxes.
- A 46% reduction in surplus borrowing to balance the budget.
- No town employee layoffs.
- An increase on required minimum fund balances across all of the town's major operating funds.
The 2014 budget approval was a far cry from last year's budget process, which threatened layoffs and closing the Holtsville Ecology Center. According to an article in the Times Beacon Record, the town's blue-collar and white-collar union, the CSEA, threw their support behind the new spending plan.
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