VOL. 75 NO. 45
OCTOBER 31 - NOVEMBER 6, 2025
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MAssApequA ___________
HERALD pOsT
Also serving Farmingdale, Massapequa, Massapequa Park and Plainedge
Local Halloween haunts Page 10
What are you looking forward to this fall? Page 3 VOL. 74 74 NO. NO.45 45
OCTOBER 29 29 -- NOVEMBER NOVEMBER 4, OCTOBER 5,2025 2025
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Budget Inn demo begins in November By MIKE POLANSKY Senior Correspondent
Carolyn James/Herald
Halloween Happenings Lots of homes are all decked out for Halloween like this one at 56 Second Avenue in Massapequa Park. See Page 10 for more photos.
A long-awaited demolition is finally on the horizon for the Budget Inn property at the intersection of Carman Mill Road and Old Sunrise Highway in Massapequa, just north of Berner Middle School and adjacent to the school’s athletic fields. After years of complaints and litigation, the Town of Oyster Bay has begun hazardous material testing at the site, the first step in the abatement and demolition process. Officials say the building is being tested for asbestos and lead paint, with demolition expected to begin by mid- to late November. “This property has long been an eyesore for the community, and its closure last year was a tremendous victory for public safety and our suburban quality of life,” said Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino. “We remain committed to removing this blight from our neighborhood
as we work to prepare a vision for the property.” The Budget Inn was officially shut down in February 2024, when the town deemed it both a “dangerous building” and a “public nuisance” under local codes. All occupants were removed, and the property has remained boarded up since. A legal settlement reached in July 2024 required the property owner, Om Shiv Sai Guru, Inc., to demolish the building by June 30, 2025, or consent to the town doing so at the owner’s expense. That deadline was later extended to Oct. 1, but no demolition permit was filed. The town has since made an offer to purchase the property, which is currently under review by the owner. A June 2025 Town Environmental Quality Review Report suggested that if the town acquires the land, it should be repurposed for open space or low-intensity parkland or recreational use.
Oyster Bay adopts 2026 budget with 3.9% tax levy increase By MIKE POLANSKY Senior Correspondent
At its October 21st meeting, the Oyster Bay Town Board conducted a public hearing on and adopted the Town’s Budget for 2026. The 2026 Budget that was adopted on October 21st provides for a total tax levy of $242,211,595, an increase of $9,224,296, approximately 3.9% over the total tax levy of $232,987,299 in the 2025 Budget. It is within the New York State Tax Cap. This is the first increase in Town taxes since 2017. The Town delivered a $1.3 Million real property tax cut in 2018 and successfully froze taxes for the following seven years.
The 2026 Budget was formally presented to the Town Board at the hearing by Town Director of Finance Rob Darienzo. There were no members of the public who rose to speak about the Budget, either at the 10:00 AM session of the hearing or at the 7:00 PM session. At the conclusion of the evening session of the hearing, the Board voted unanimously to adopt the Budget. Town sources attribute the increase to the need to absorb significant rising expenses, from inflation, health care costs and labor, and note that the increase is under the New York State Property Tax Cap. Town Supervisor Saladino emphasized the CONTINUED ON PAGE 14
Mike Polansky/Herald
The Town proceeds with abatement investigation of the Budget Inn facility