The Huntington Township Housing Coalition has released the results of its survey of Huntington Town Board candidates on issues relating to the expansion of affordable housing within the township.
The coalition received replies to a four-question survey from six candidates. Here are their answers to the fourth question:
4. One component that makes Huntington (and Long Island) unaffordable is the high taxes. With the costs of goods and services to the Town likely to go up over time, that means our taxes will go up over time unless we increase the tax base. What is your plan to increase the tax base so existing residents’ taxes don’t need to increase?
Stephen Anastasia (Democratic candidate for Town Council):
My plan to responsibly increase the tax base includes three core strategies:
Targeted Mixed-Use Development: Encourage smart, mixed-use development in appropriate commercial corridors like Melville and Huntington Station that balances residential growth with commercial vitality- generating property and sales tax revenue while reducing sprawl.
Support for Small Businesses: Invest in local business development by streamlining permitting, improving infrastructure, and supporting entrepreneurs- particularly in underutilized areas. Thriving local businesses generate stable tax revenue and provide
jobs.
Adaptive Reuse and Redevelopment: Encourage the redevelopment of aging or vacant properties, including strip malls, office parks, and brownfield sites, into tax-generating mixed-use or residential properties- without overburdening schools or infrastructure.
By pursuing a balanced, strategic growth plan, we can expand our tax base, reduce the pressure on longtime residents, and make Huntington more affordable and livable for all.
Dr. David P. Bennardo (Republican/Conservative candidate for Town Council; incumbent):
Decades as a school principal and superintendent have provided me with an up-close seat to the increasing tax levy with shrinking tax base phenomenon. The bottom line is that the levy, which is the total amount of money municipalities and school districts can collect from taxpayers each year, goes up approximately 2% annually. That levy is then spread over the various homeowners and businesses, depending on their individual assessments. Each time a business shuts its doors or a home forecloses, the taxpayers’ contributions are removed from the levy, and a bit more of the levy is then spread over the remaining homeowners and businesses. As a result, the only way to manage tax rates is to bring both residential and business growth to our region. The Melville Corridor is conceived with the concept of bringing tax-contributing businesses to an increasingly barren area, thereby increasing the amount those businesses contribute towards the fixed levy. This type of careful growth is truly the only way to manage the contradiction of increasing levees and decreasing contributors.
Gregory Grizopoulos (Republican/Conservative candidate for Town Council):
The Town of Huntington offers so many desirable places to live but also provides a great place to own and operate a business. We have the best schools, beautiful beaches and parks, charming villages and downtown areas, the best restaurants and stores, and commercial business areas to create a strong and diverse tax base. The town owes a responsibility to keep taxes affordable for residents by working to keep businesses in the Town and to make the commercial areas attractive to new businesses. This is one of the best ways to help defer the tax base from the residents without compromising the nature and character of a community. I am always eager to work with others and discuss alternative options to help increase the tax base without increasing taxes for residents.
Jen Hebert (Democratic candidate for Town Council):
To keep Huntington affordable, we need to keep our tax base up by supporting our local businesses and attracting new ones to our town. As the daughter of a small business owner, I would be honored to help our local businesses. I’d like to see every store front, all over the township, up and running. In this challenging economy, we’re going to need to be creative about ways to help our local businesses thrive. This would mean working with the local BID on ways to attract businesses and customers to Huntington. In addition, the town should be doing everything possible to make doing business in town easier, including addressing issues like the parking problem in Huntington village. In addition, I would also advocate for any and all possible funding from the county and state, even if that means going to Albany to get Huntington our fair share of state funds/grant money.
Cooper Macco (Democratic candidate for Town Supervisor):
We need to increase revenue into the Town from outside sources. I think the parking system needs to be revamped. The Town should sell annual permits (similar to the train station) at a fixed price with a reduced cost for seniors and first responders. The confusion surrounding paid parking in the town is omnipresent and frustrates people to the point that they don’t pay and instead risk a ticket. People would pay more for an annual parking permit issued by the town then they would for metered parking collectively during the year. I would also create 2-3 spots for food delivery in each of the public lots surrounding business districts. That permit would be issued at a higher cost. However, I would seek to strictly enforce double parking violations. Food delivery, while convenient, has created a traffic bottleneck almost everywhere. I would also install electric vehicle chargers at more municipal lots and parks in order to create a new revenue source. A large percentage of food delivery (and Uber/Lyft) use electric vehicles and it would allow the Town to retain some money for food deliveries that may be made from outside our boundaries. Finally, I would seek to opt-in to the sale of adult use recreational cannabis in Huntington. The State of New York collected approximately $160 million in tax revenue from the sale in 2024, and that number is expected to balloon up to $240 million this year. That money goes back to the municipalities, and our southern neighbor, Babylon, collected over $2 million last year. Additionally, NYS has earmarked funds to reinvest into communities which had legalized the sale of recreational cannabis through grants. While the tax revenue would reduce the tax base for residents, the grant money would also help our community.
Edmund J. Smyth (Republican/Conservative candidate for Town Supervisor; incumbent):
First it is important to point out that the Town component of your tax bill is approximately 7%. Even if the Town eliminated 100% of its taxes, residents would still pay 93% of their current tax bill to other taxing authorities. The Town is a very good steward of the public’s money. The Town has remained under the tax cap for 8 consecutive years, maintains a AAA bond rating, has zero fiscal stress, and has an operating surplus. Despite this fiscal conservative approach, the Town has paved record lane miles, has upgraded parks and playgrounds, and addressed major failing infrastructure. Almost every truck and piece of heavy equipment has been rebuilt or replaced. The best way to protect taxpayers from future tax increases is by growing the tax base responsibly. That includes, encouraging residential development where appropriate and supporting the sensible redevelopment of existing properties. By doing so, we can generate new revenue and revitalize key areas of the Town.
Share on Facebook
Share on X
Share on Instagram