Board Adopts 2016 Budget

With a unanimous vote on Tuesday, the East Hampton Town Board adopted a $73.7 million town operating budget for 2016, up from $71.5 million this year.

The spending plan will result in a 1.6-percent tax increase, to $29.30 per $100 of assessed value, for residents of the town outside incorporated villages. Those in the villages will pay $11.70 per $100 of assessed value, reflecting a .65-percent increase.

For the owners of a house assessed at $1 million, that will mean a $34.16 increase in town taxes next year for those outside villages, and a $5.32 increase for those who live in the villages of East Hampton or Sag Harbor. 

The adopted spending plan is $221,500 above the tentative budget proposed by Supervisor Larry Cantwell. However, increases in anticipated revenue will offset all but $26,500 of the additional spending.

Items added include $145,000 for the first phase of a planning study of the town’s hamlets, $50,000 to install a paid parking system at the airport, and $25,000 to cover additional insurance costs.

An error in the salary increase for most elected officials, which was to be set at 2 percent but appeared in the initial budget at 2.5 percent, was corrected.

The final budget remains under the state-imposed cap on tax increases by almost $132,000.