Town of Hempstead Supervisor Don Clavin has proposed a $504.1 million tentative budget for 2023 which would freeze property taxes for the third consecutive year and maintain all town programs and services.

“As part of the 2023 Annual Budget, I am proud to announce that the Town of Hempstead is freezing taxes – a coordinated effort to ensure that residents will not be burdened with a higher tax levy from their township government,” Clavin said. “This tax freeze not only keeps more money in residents’ pockets, but it also helps taxpayers save for retirement, support their local communities by dining local and shopping local, or even open their own businesses here in America’s largest township.  Indeed, I will always place the interests of taxpayers first, and that means respecting their wallets.”

The proposal is a less than a 1 percent increase over the current budget, which totaled $500.3 million. 

Hempstead also received an AAA bond rating from Moody’s Investors Service, the highest a town can achieve. 

Clavin said in his budget note the rating will provide cost savings to residents in the form of reduced interest rates for municipal bonds.

Before the tentative budget can be adopted, the Hempstead Town Board is hosting two hearings on Oct. 19 at 2:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. 

Town-wide 7.8% of taxes go to the town whereas for incorporated areas only 0.7% goes toward town taxes, according to the budget. 

Clavin said his administration is moving forward with streamlining and modernizing town services, which will remain “unchanged,” including expanding digitization, following the Building Department’s web portal, which was previously implemented. 

Hempstead also plans to expand on the town’s “Vision 2040,” which intends to make all town vehicles run on purely renewable energy by 2040. Last year, Hempstead and National Grid announced a joint project expanding the hydrogen facilities at Point Lookout.

“These are certainly turbulent times for our nation with Americans from coast to coast struggling under the weight of rising costs, inflation, and an overall unsteady economy,” Clavin said.  “I recognize the struggles of my neighbors who are weathering this uncertain economy, which is why we have taken great strides here at the Town of Hempstead to support residents with this tax freeze budget.  I am confident this proposed 2023 budget will best serve the residents of America’s largest township, and I look forward to discussing it in further detail come Oct. 19.”