The Town of Hempstead Board presented its preliminary budget for the fiscal year beginning Jan. 1, 2026 during public hearings Oct. 16, 2025 and moved to include estimated ending fund balances in the draft and to amend the deputy supervisor’s compensation as shown in the document.

Supervisor Ferretti said the tentative budget “cuts taxes in the general fund by 18% resulting in a $5,000,000 cut to the tax levy,” and described the plan as a tax-cutting, fiscally responsible budget while noting rising costs and unfunded mandates from Albany.

John Mastemarino, the town controller, clarified that the board’s tax levy (the amount the town board controls) is separate from the levies set by 14 independently operated special districts that are required by state law to be appended to the town’s budget document. Mastemarino said the town’s own tax levy would fall from roughly $289.8 million in 2025 to roughly $284.8 million in 2026 — a $5 million reduction — while the combined townwide total that appears in the budget book (which includes the independent districts) is larger. He and board members repeatedly told the public the difference explains media reporting that treated the combined figure as if it were the town board’s levy.

A core point of public contention was the use of fund balance (reserves) to finance parts of the budget. Mastemarino and the supervisor said the 2026 draft projects using an estimated $56 million of reserves; speakers and residents pressed the board on the size and sustainability of such drawdowns. The controller and the supervisor cited guidance and precedent, including a 2022 note from the New York State Comptroller that “appropriation of available fund balance as a financing source is a common and accepted practice,” and said past budgets projected reserves at higher amounts than were ultimately spent.

Public comment covered a range of topics tied to the budget. Pearl Jacobs (Uniondale) and Lynn Krug (Garden City) said the plan was misleading and effectively used reserves to make a headline tax cut. Dan Oppenheimer and other residents pressed for clarity on whether the $5 million reduction will be evident on individual tax bills; the supervisor said the reduction would be reflected on the 2026 tax bills (first half payments due during the applicable collection period). Chris Jacobs and other commenters urged specific spending changes, including installing LED-illuminated stop signs at additional school crosswalks and allocating budget dollars to public-safety outreach for people who are unsheltered (comments endorsed by Randy Quinteros of the Long Island Coalition for the Homeless). Diane Madden and other constituents asked about animal shelter line items including TNR (trap-neuter-return), cremation services and outside veterinary contracts.

Board action during the afternoon included two motions the clerk recorded to: (1) include estimated ending fund balances in the preliminary budget and (2) amend the deputy supervisor’s compensation as stated in the preliminary budget. The clerk called the roll on those motions and recorded unanimous or majority “Aye” votes by present board members (Deputy Supervisor Goosby had earlier recused herself for the compensation matter). The board also voted to continue the public hearings for both the Greater Atlantic Beach Water Reclamation District assessment roll and the preliminary budget to the 7:00 p.m. evening session the same day to allow additional public comment.

After extended public comment in the evening session the board did not record a final adoption vote for the full preliminary budget in the transcript excerpt; the hearing remained in continuation status for 7:00 p.m. public comment. The town posted the budget materials and the amended preliminary budget as required by law; the controller emphasized the published document shows separately the town-controlled levy and the appended special-district levies that are outside the town board’s legal control.

What’s next

- The public hearing on the preliminary 2026 budget continued to the evening session on Oct. 16; the transcript excerpt does not show a final adoption vote on the full budget. Residents may submit additional comment at the continued hearing and through the town’s posted comment channels.