____________
Let’s bring Massapequa ___________
HERALD
your tax bill down!
DEADLINE MARCH 31ST
pOsT
Also serving Farmingdale, Massapequa, Massapequa Park and Plainedge
This week’s Pets, Pets, Pets
Residents share thoughts on kindness
Page 6
Page 11
VOL. 71 NO. 7
THE LEADER IN PROP ERTY TAX REDUCT ION
Apply online at mptrg.com/heraldn ote or call 516.715.1266 Maidenbaum Property
FEBRUARY 18 - 24, 2026
Hablamos Español
Tax Reduction Grou
p, LLC
$1.00
Massapequa begins 2026-27 budget process By MIKE POLANSKY Senior Correspondent
Courtesy Massapequa Fire Department
Massapequa Firefighters extend water lines to put out small fire at the American Legion Hall in Massapequa Feb. 9.
MFD battles fires at home—and in Amityville By CAROLYN JAMES cjames@liherald.com
The Massapequa Fire Department responded to two separate fires in Massapequa on Monday, Feb. 9 — one at the American Legion on Veterans Boulevard and another at a home on East Gate Road. Firefighters were first called to the American Legion, where they were met by a retired New York City firefighter who told them there was a fire in the boiler room and that he had used a fire extinguisher in an effort to put it out. “The volunteers went into the boiler room and were met with some fire and smoke,” Massapequa Fire Chief Robert Kennedy said. “After approximately 45 minutes they were able to secure the scene.” As crews were wrapping up at the American Legion hall, another call came in reporting a house fire at 134 East Gate Road, Kennedy said. “The family was out of the house and advised us that there were several pets inside,” he said, adding that volunteers entered the home and rescued all of them. Firefighters brought the blaze under control
in approximately 15 to 20 minutes. The fire was confined to the family room, though there was smoke damage throughout the house. No injuries were reported. “The volunteers worked quickly and did a good job at both fires,” Kennedy said. The previous weekend, Massapequa firefighters assisted more than six other departments at two major house fires in Amityville — one on Ocean Avenue on Feb. 7 and another on Braham Avenue on Feb. 8. Volunteers battled below-freezing temperatures and strong winds, working for more than three hours at each location. No injuries were reported, and both homes were declared uninhabitable by the Amityville building department. Amityville officials and residents thanked the departments that responded for helping protect nearby homes. “I want to personally thank all the volunteers who answered the call under the worst conditions,” Amityville Fire Chief Stephen Juliano said. “I could not be more grateful to all of them. It is good to know that our neighboring departments are there when we need them, despite the most difficult conditions.”
Assistant Superintendent for Business Ryan Ruf said work on the 2026-27 Massapequa School District budget has been underway since September and presented the Board of Education with some details at its Feb. 5 meeting. This marked the first formal presentation of the proposed spending plan. Ruf’s presentation focused on general support codes, state aid and the state tax levy limit and general support accounts for 80 of the district’s 284 budget codes. Among the expenses highlighted was the $34,834 cost of the annual budget vote, including $16,000 for the four legally required public notices. The proposed budget also includes $33,000 for an outside claims auditor, since every payment must be reviewed before it is released to a vendor. Ruf also cited the $606,000 allocated for legal services, noting that expenses in that line can fluctuate significantly depending on what he called the “wild card” of impartial hearings for student placement. Under “SED Mandated Inspections,” the district will be testing its water in the coming school year as per a require-
ment to complete this testing every three years; a final cost for that testing was not immediately available. In addition, $57,500 is budgeted for a state-required building condition survey conducted every five years. Security remains a major component of the budget. The proposal allocates $1,280,220 for regular security guard salaries and $694,668 for armed guards. “General liability and property insurance is another significant cost,” said Ruf. “Rates are skyrocketing and that the district rejected a proposed 33 percent increase from its carrier. Negotiations are continuing.” Turning to the state tax levy limit, Ruf said it will be 4.6 percent for 2026-27, adding that “we will be working hard to make sure that we’re not coming close to that number.” He noted that “most Districts go to the maximum every single year, but Massapequa has not.” A chart presented to the Board showed that in the 16 years since the levy limit was implemented, the district has remained a cumulative $37,281,727 below the cap. Ruf concluded with an overview of the State Aid process. Massapequa’s Foundation Aid CONTINUED ON PAGE 14