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Massapequa Park presents budget proposal for new year Spending plan dips, taxes to rise slightly By MIKE POLANSKY Senior Correspondent
Christie Leigh Babirad/Herald photos
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman talks about new measures to protect religious sites.
Nassau County unveils new security app and police team for houses of worship By CHRISTIE LEIGH BABIRAD cbabirad@liherald.com
Nassau County has launched new security measures to bolster protection at its many houses of worship. County Executive Bruce Blakeman and Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder unveiled the RAVE emergency alert app and introduced the Nassau County Police Department’s House of Worship Team at a press conference at the Morrelly Homeland Security Center last week. Officials say the app can dramatically cut police response time in emergencies—and potentially save lives. “We’re here today to talk about our ongoing effort to make Nassau County safer,” Blakeman said. “With our House of Worship Desk, we’ll have personnel dedicated specifically to houses of worship, just like we do for schools. We are using technology, equipment, engineering—everything at our disposal—to make sure our communities are safe.”
The RAVE app bypasses 911 and alerts the House of Worship Desk directly, providing faster response in critical situations. “Time saves lives,” Blakeman said. Ryder emphasized the importance of narrowing emergency response windows. “Eighty-five percent of school shootings are over in two to three minutes. Our response time is three to five minutes,” he said. “If we can close that gap, we can save lives.” The app has already been provided to 263 organizations, 672 campuses and more than 1,035 buildings throughout the county—at no cost to taxpayers or religious institutions. Daniel Plaut, chairman of security at Congregation Beth Sholom in Lawrence, praised the initiative. “In these trying times, we’re thrilled to have the government we have, offering protection through our highly respected police force,” Plaut said. “Nassau County continues to make critiCONTINUED ON PAGE 12
Massapequa Park Village’s tentative budget for 2025-2026 shows a slight decrease in spending and a slight increase in property taxes. The Village Board of Trustees held a public hearing on Mon., April 7 to go over the spending plan for the coming year: The budget is set at $7,906,522, a decrease of $551,565 from the current budget on both the expenditure and revenue side. The total tax levy, that amount raised through real property taxes, will increase by 2.65 percent to $4,679,737, slightly under the state tax cap of $4,688,714. The result is an anticipated average tax increase of $20.11 per year for homeowners, bringing the total tax bill for the average Massapequa Park home (assessed at $645,455) to $813.31. Village officials said the reduction in spending is the result of numerous projects that were completed and paid for with American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding, including: $285,024 for street cleaning equipment, $154,362 for street maintenance equipment, $45,865 for other equipment, and $37,500 for equipment purchases. In passing along the slight increase, Village officials said they are acting in what they described is a prudent man-
ner, to ensure that when costs increase in the coming year, as most economists predict they will, the Village will not be in a deficit position at the end of the new fiscal year. John O’Brien, a longtime Massapequa Park resident and former Village trustee, was the only member of the public to comment on the budget. He suggested the Village could save money by renegotiating insurance coverage, making better use of the Planning Commission, and generating revenue from the Village-owned property on East Chestnut by converting it into a vehicle storage facility. He also argued that the rent charged to Nassau Towers for its cell tower on Village property was too low. Mayor Daniel Pearl thanked O’Brien for his suggestions, noting that the Village was considering his suggestions, though he said he disagreed that the Planning Commission was underutilized. On the Nassau Towers cell tower, Pearl pointed out that the current contract still had nearly five years left. The board announced that public comments on the budget would be accepted until the budget vote at the next Village Board meeting on April 28. Comments can be mailed to: villclerk@masspk.com. In other business, the board: CONTINUED ON PAGE 12