Friday, May 1, 2026
Vol. 103, No. 18
Your Realtor Next Door
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FOUNDED 1923 n LOCALLY OWNED AND EDITED
Tsui Ying (Ju Lic. Assoc. R.
dy) Hsu
E. Brok
er O 516.307.940 6 | M 516.695.8 024 tsuiying.hsu@ elliman.com elliman.com Garden City Office 130 7th Street
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Gaia in Cathedral PAGE 3 n Earth Day PAGE 4
© 2026 DOUGLAS ELLIMAN REAL EST ATE. EQUAL HOUSING 110 WALT WHITMA OPPORT UNITY. N ROAD, HUNTING TON STATION, NY 11746. 631.549.740 1.
$73M budget includes $10M for St. Paul’s
LIBERTY TREE PLANTED
BY RIKKI MASSAND
Members of the Colonel Aaron Ogden Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, donated a “Liberty Tree” which was planted near the Garden City Rail Road on Arbor Day, April 24th. To honor the 250th anniversary of the founding of America, the Colonel Aaron Ogden Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American
Revolution, Heather Zawislak Regent, has donated a “Liberty Tree” to the Village of Garden City. The tree was dedicated on Arbor Day, April 24, at the site
of its planting near the Garden City Rail Road and across from the Garden City Hotel. A dedication plaque for the tree is still See page 35
BOE adopts 2026-270 budget; PTA voices support BY KASSARA MCELROY The Garden City Board of Education adopted the district’s proposed $142,385,117 budget for the 2026-27 school year at its April 22 meeting. A public budget hearing is scheduled for May 12, with the community vote set
for May 19. The now-adopted budget represents a 3.36% increase over the current year, or $4,624,272, and remains within the state’s allowable tax levy cap at 2.98%. Superintendent Dr. Kusum Sinha expressed support for the budget, noting that it continues
to prioritize programs and services that directly impact students while maintaining operational efficiency. Key elements include maintaining small class sizes at the primary level, adding staff to accommodate a larger incoming See page 35
At the Village Board of Trustees meeting on Thursday, April 23rd, the Board unanimously approved the 2026–27 municipal budget totaling $73,709,354. After subtracting an appropriated surplus of $3,415,451 and estimated revenues for FY 2025–2026 of $12,408,883, the amount to be raised by taxes in the coming fiscal year is $57,885,020. Through a separate resolution approved at the same meeting, the Board set the tax rate for the local levy at $53.9811 per $100 of assessed valuation on taxable properties. As the Board began its discussion of the budget, Mayor Ed Finneran noted a recent change following conversations with Village Treasurer Irene Woo: the inclusion of $10 million for work on the St. Paul’s main building. The funding aligns with proposals advanced by the four candidates elected to the Board in March from the Community Agreement Party (CAP), which supported a “Landmark” option for St. Paul’s. Mayor Finneran addressed the $10 million allocation before Trustee Rich Catalano, chairman of the Finance & Audit Committee, and Deputy Mayor Judy Courtney offered their own remarks on the overall budget. “At our last meeting, we were asked if we would include it in this year’s budget and the answer from this desk and myself was ‘No’ – upon further consideration, due to some chats I had with Treasurer Woo and others, it was decided it would be best to include the $10 million in this budget. You will see that in our Recreation and Parks budget line, under the General Fund Capital Budget, there is an addition of $10 million for St. Paul’s (as a bonded amount),” the mayor said. He added that the Recreation capital budget also includes $589,000 for equipment. Mayor Finneran said that while the funding is included in the budget, the Board is not yet ready to present detailed plans for the work at St. Paul’s. He indicated that a formal presentation could take place as soon as May 21st. He described the scope as involving multiple “moving parts,” including a new synthetic slate Mansard roof, landscaping, fencing, security upgrades and general site cleanup, including clearing overgrowth behind the building. He also said that a philanthropic effort is underway “to raise See page 35
GC dominates the Garden State PAGE 48 Trojan baseball sweeps Hewlett PAGE 47