_________________ FREEPORT _________________
HERALD
Nothing to lose!
infections as of Jan. 14
3,672
infections as of Jan. 7 3,335
DEADLINE APPROACH
District honors Atkinson student
Fire captain gives to local museum
Page 3
Page 7
$1.00
ING
THE LEADER IN PROP ERTY TAX REDUCT ION
Sign up today. It on ly takes seconds. Apply online at mptrg .com/heraldnote or call 516.479.9171
Hablamos Español
18/21 itc FG Demi Condensed Page xx
Maidenbaum Propert y Tax Reduction Gro up, LLC 483 Chestnut Street, Cedarhurst, NY 11516
JANUARY 14 - 20, 2021
1114365
COmmUNitY UpDAtE
You don’t pay unless you save.
VOl. 86 NO. 2
Village board approves 2021-22 budget property owners in the village. This year’s tax levy now resembles that of previous years. The Village of Freeport board While the budget covered the of trustees voted to approve a usual mandated increases in $75.4 million budget for 2021-22 e m p l oye e b e n e f i t s, wh i ch on Jan. 10. account for about $21.5 million, The spending the largest portion plan is $1.5 million of the spending smaller than the plan, $24.6 million, current one, and was allocated to does not raise public safety. taxes for residents. “T his budg et The budget marks strikes the proper the eighth consecubalance between tive year without a preserving village tax increase. services, while sta“ I t ’s a g re at bilizing the tax accomplishment burden for a majorfor our village, ity of village residepartment heads dents,” Kennedy and staf f that said in a letter to we’re able to go yet ROBERt KENNEDY Freeporters. another year withThe mayor and out a tax increase,” Mayor village trustees Mayor Robert Kenadded that putting nedy said. together the budget proved to be Although the village had to challenging during the pandemimplement a 5 percent tax ic. increase in last year’s budget to Throughout the final weeks make up for an unprecedented of 2020, the board held a series rise in expenses because of the of budget workshops with the state’s new discovery laws, as heads of every department in previously reported by the Her- the village to draft the budget. ald, Kennedy and village offi- During those sessions, village cials worked together with state officials had to account for all representatives to reform the law and distribute tax rebates to Continued on page 4
By RONNY REYES rreyes@liherald.com
i
Courtesy Office of Nassau County Legislator Debra Mule
FREEpORt pOliCE ChiEF Mike Smith, left, thanked Nassau County Legislator Debra Mulé, to his right, and Long Island Laboring Against Covid-19 for donating hundreds of masks on Jan. 8.
‘We must remain vigilant’
Officials hand out masks amid Covid increase By RONNY REYES rreyes@liherald.com
At the end of 2020, Nassau County Legislator Debra Mulé, of Freeport, joined the student group Long Island Laboring Against Covid-19 to donate 15,000 masks and other personal protective equipment to the Mount Sinai South Nassau hospital in Oceanside. A few days later, Mulé got a call from the hospital, saying that while the PPE kits and hospital gowns were appreci-
ated, the masks could not be used because they were not medical grade. Mulé asked LILAC if she could distribute the masks to the communities that she represents, and after receiving the OK, Mulé and her team went out on Jan. 8, 10 and 11 and handed out the masks to senior center members, first responders and other at-risk groups in Freeport, Baldwin, Rockville Centre and South Hempstead. “When the hospital couldn’t use the masks, that
was a door closing, but when one door closes, a window opens,” Mulé said. “In this case, it was several windows opening.” During the three-day distribution, Mulé and her team gave out masks to the Freeport, Baldwin and South Nassau fire departments, the Freeport and Baldwin American Legion posts, the Freeport Police Department, Freeport Housing Authority, St. Christopher’s Parish Outreach, Oceanside Senior Center and Continued on page 5
t’s a great accomplishment for our village . . . that we’re able to go yet another year without a tax increase.