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VOL. 71 NO. 4
JANUARY 28 - FEBRUARY 3, 2026
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Demolition of Budget Inn underway, finally! By MIKE POLANSKY Senior Correspondent
Photo NYS Comptroller’s Office
Nearly two years after being declared a “dangerous building” and “public nuisance,” the long-troubled Budget Inn on Carman Mill Road in East Massapequa has been demolished. Located just north of Berner Middle School and across from its athletic fields, the motel had long drawn criticism from residents and officials due to code
violations, criminal complaints and its proximity to school grounds. Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino, joined by Councilman Andrew Monteleone, Town Clerk Richard LaMarca and Deputy Highway Commissioner John C. Tassone, visited the site on Jan. 20 to mark the start of demolition. “This is an important day for the people of the Massapequas,” said Saladino. “This eyesore is
NYS Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, right.
Tax cap holds at 2 percent Poses challenges for LI schools as cost of living rises By CAROLYN JAMES cjames@liherald.com
School officials will again be limited to a 2 percent increase in their tax levy growth for the 2025–26 school year, according to State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. The cap also applies to 10 cities statewide, marking the fifth consecutive year the levy growth has been held to that level. The decision arrives as Long Island continues to see rising costs. The cost of living on Long Island has increased an estimated 24 to 26 percent since 2020, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data using the New York metro region as a proxy. The cap, first implemented in 2012, limits property tax levy increases for school districts and most local governments outside New York City to either 2 percent or the rate of inflation — whichever is less — with some exceptions. Although districts can override the cap with voter approval, DiNapoli’s office calculated the inflation factor at 2.63 percent, meaning the 2 per-
cent cap remains in effect for those with a June 30, 2027, fiscal year end. “School district and municipal officials must continue to find ways to deliver services efficiently as they deal with higher costs and the potential impact of federal actions,” DiNapoli said. The cap applies to a district’s total tax levy — not individual budget lines — and generally covers salaries, supplies, utilities, contracts, dependent special districts such as water or fire, and most debt service. “It should come as no surprise to any trustee, board of education, or school district personnel that the calculated rate of inflation exceeded the 2 percent tax cap,” said Christopher Faplillo, president of the West Babylon Board of Education. “We must look no further than the bills on our kitchen table to understand the financial implications facing school districts and communities across Long Island.” Faplillo added that what school leaders CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
Mike Polansky/Herald
Supervisor Saladino personally got the demolition process started at the controls of the excavator CONTINUED ON PAGE 8