Babylon Village has approved a new $14.57 million budget for the upcoming fiscal year, a $1.43 million spending increase that will raise the tax rate by 9.88 percent. The decision, made on April 22, followed a packed board meeting where residents questioned the necessity of exceeding the state-mandated tax cap, an increase described by some as “hard to swallow.”

Village Treasurer Andrew Reichel explained that “social inflation,” including rising insurance and infrastructure costs, drove the increase. Mayor Mary Adams stated that prior administrations had deferred necessary infrastructure spending. “We’re doing everything we can to be cost-effective, but we can’t keep putting Band-Aids on what needs to be repaired or upgraded,” Adams said, emphasizing the budget’s focus on long-term sustainability and its link to home values.

Officials detailed other cost drivers: Deputy Mayor Frank Seibert cited significant insurance hikes and the replacement of aging free-to-use playgrounds. Trustee Dominic Bencivenga discussed maintaining amenities like the golf course and public docks. Trustees Anthony Cardali and Sean Goodwin pointed to rising labor, material costs, and the financial needs of the historic Nathaniel Conklin House.