At last night’s Babylon Village Annual Budget Meeting, Babylon Village Treasurer Andrew Reichel announced that total expenditures for the proposed FY2021 budget would be $11,888,817 which represents an increase of 5.31% over the FY2020 budget. The budget includes a tax rate increase of 2.01% about 30 cents per $100 of assessed value.

Some of the increased expenses include salary increases on overtime costs for Village employees, legal expenses for ongoing and anticipated litigation, central garage costs due to the aging vehicle fleet, cancer coverage for BV fire department personnel and increased expenditure on highway improvement so that the village can fully utilize New York State CHIPS funds.

Reichel noted that the 2.01% tax rate increase will not break the New York State property tax cap. Babylon Village had previously gone six years without a tax rate increase.

The meeting was held remotely via the teleconferencing app Zoom and live streamed on Babylon Village’s new YouTube channel

In virtual attendance were Mayor Ralph Scordino, Deputy Mayor Kevin Muldowney, Trustee Mary Adams, Trustee Robin Silvestri, Village Clerk Jean Marie Park, Deputy Village Clerk Jeanine Finelli, Treasurer Andrew Reichel and Village Attorney Gerard Glass.

Babylon Village residents who have questions, comments or concerns about the proposed budget can send them via e-mail to [email protected]