Proposed 12% tax hike ruffles feathers in Hempstead: 'Stupid and crazy'

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. (1010 WINS) – Residents are balking at would be one of the largest tax hikes in years in the Town of Hempstead—12.1%.

“No, no, no, that’s crazy—too much already,” one man said Monday when asked about the tax hike.

He said the price of gas and food is already sky high on the island and called the budget proposal “stupid and crazy.”

“They didn’t do much for the town,” he said. “Why they raise the tax—for what, for whom?”

Another resident called the proposal “absolutely ridiculous,” echoing concerns that residents aren’t getting much bang for their buck.

“We’re getting very little for our money now,” he said. “How dare they raise our taxes and give us even less than they’re giving us now.”

The plan would increase the town's spending to $549.1 million, up from $522.5 million in the 2024 budget, according to Newsday .

Special town meetings will be held Tuesday afternoon and evening so residents can voice their opinions on the tax increase. Hempstead Democrats also planned a 1:30 p.m. rally at the Town Hall, "Residents Rally to Stand Up to Hempstead Town Board's 12% Tax Hike."

A spokesperson for the town said the town has reduced or frozen the tax levy for last four years while aggressively controlling costs, calling the 12.1% number is a "misrepresentation of the facts."

"The reality is that the Town of Hempstead has frozen or reduced the tax levy each year for the past 4 years," the spokesperson, Brian Devine, said. "We have aggressively controlled costs that are within the Town’s discretion while employing cost-saving measures to offset the impact of increases in the costs of unfunded state-mandates. In fact, the proposed 2025 spending plan pares down the Town’s workforce, saving taxpayers $16.6 million in payroll and associated costs. Modest positive adjustments to certain budgeted amounts are included in the 2025 proposal. The Town looks forward to continuing to craft budgets that provide for the finest municipal services at the lowest possible cost."

Town Supervisor Donald Clavin, who has put forth "tax freeze" budgets in recent years, described the increase in the proposal as "modest positive adjustment to property-based revenues."

After Hempstead dipped into reserves to close budget deficits, the credit rating agency Moody's warned the town in April that its Aaa bond rating may be downgraded if it continued "structurally imbalanced budgets that rely on the use of reserves to support ongoing operations," Newsday reported.