Huntington weighs tax cap override as growing number of New York municipalities face similar budget pressures
New state report finds more local governments considering tax cap overrides amid rising costs.
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The Huntington Town Board is set to hold a second budget workshop this week as officials consider whether to override New York's tax cap or make significant cuts to services and staffing.
According to Huntington Supervisor Ed Smyth, maintaining the town's current level of staff and services would require the board to approve a tax increase that exceeds the state's tax cap. If the town instead chooses to keep its budget below the cap, officials say it would require a 16% reduction in department budgets and the elimination of key services and programs.
"There's almost no mathematical way to avoid this," Smyth said during a recent budget workshop.
Smyth said the town wanted to demonstrate the impact of staying under the tax cap.
"The purpose of this was to show you what under the tax cap looked like. And it's stark," he said.
Residents who spoke at recent town meetings expressed concerns about the possibility of higher taxes.
"It's easy when it's OPM. Other people's money," one resident said.
Another resident urged town leaders to find a solution.
"I don't want to move out of here. Please do something, OK?" the resident said.
State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli said Huntington's situation reflects a broader trend across New York.
A recent report from the Comptroller's office found an increase in the number of municipalities planning to override the tax cap. For the fiscal year ending in 2026, the report found that 45% of cities, 35.5% of villages, 28.6% of towns and 24.6% of counties planned to override the tax cap.
While neither Nassau County nor Suffolk County is considering a tax cap override, DiNapoli said many smaller local governments on Long Island are facing similar challenges.
"Actually Long Island is even higher for the statewide rate for towns and villages," DiNapoli said.
DiNapoli said several factors are contributing to the financial strain facing local governments, including persistent inflation, rising operating costs, the impact of tariffs and the end of COVID-era relief funding.
"What Long Islanders are facing in terms of their household budgets, local governments are facing that as well," DiNapoli said.
The Huntington Town Board is expected to continue discussing its budget options at this week's workshop as officials weigh whether to seek a tax cap override or implement significant spending cuts.
