School property taxes for the 2025-26 academic year could rise an average of 2.62% on Long Island, according to figures collected by the NYS Comptroller's Office and released at Newsday's request. John Hildebrand and Michael R. Ebert report in NEWSDAY that early projections show that a majority of Long Island school districts — 69 of 124 — are keeping proposed tax increases below the inflation rate, a Newsday analysis found. Current inflation is running at 2.8%, down from 3% in February. Some districts, however, project tax-levy increases well above the average…including in Suffolk - Mount Sinai 3.95% and East Hampton 5.34%. Despite these large proposed increases, Newsday determined that no district so far has called for a voter override of the state's tax-cap limits, which requires approval by at least 60% of local voters. That's in marked contrast with last year's school-budget season, when six districts attempted to bust their caps, and half succeeded. In dollar terms, school property tax revenues are projected to top 4.9 billion dollars in Suffolk County. Typically, that money accounts for more than two-thirds of homeowners' tax bills across the region. Local educators described their districts as caught in a squeeze between rising costs, cap controls and what they argue is limited state aid. Some district administrators interviewed by phone said it was too early to know if extra money from Albany would be enough to substantially lower local tax requests.In Albany, the Democratic majorities of the NYS Senate and Assembly this week proposed increases in school spending beyond the $825 million, or 2.4% increase, put forward by Gov. Kathy Hochul's executive budget in January. Under law, a final state budget is due for adoption on April 1.***Gov. Kathy Hochul is scheduled to meet with President Donald Trump today over New York’s increasing need for federal aid for mass transit and infrastructure, even as Hochul’s Democratic Party takes a harder line against the Republican president."I said I wanted to carry on the conversation that we had in the Oval Office a couple weeks ago," Hochul told reporters yesterday, a day after she requested the meeting. "I have a lot on my agenda."She said she will again push for more federal funding for several infrastructure projects including the Penn Station rail hub to which massive federal aid would normally flow.Michael Gormley reports in NEWSDAY that Governor Hochul said she will also push for billions of dollars in federal aid to help fund the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s capital program and support for the state’s congestion pricing program that was supposed to fund it. Congestion pricing began in January and charges a fee to enter the most congested part of Manhattan during the busiest hours to reduce traffic, improve air quality and combat emissions that contribute to global warming.Trump, however, has said he opposes the program after hearing opposition to the fees from New Jersey Republican officials.Hochul said she also wants to talk to Trump about the trade war he began with Canada that threatens energy and commerce from Canada, a major trade partner with New York."So," Hochul said, "we’ll have quite an agenda."***The Annual Westhampton Beach St. Patrick’s Day Parade steps off at noon tomorrow from the elementary school on Mill Road, marching south to Main Street, and finishing at the corner of Main Street and Sunset Avenue. This year’s Grand Marshal is former town fire marshal and Westhampton Beach Fire Department member (and Santa Claus) Steve Frano, who wants to know, “Is there a volunteer within you? That’s tomorrow’s Westhampton Beach St. Patrick’s Day Parade from 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm.Also, tomorrow – the St. Patrick’s Day parade in Jamesport steps off at 1 p.m. on Main Road at Washington Avenue and proceeds east on Main Road to...

Westhampton Beach St. Patrick's Day Parade rolls Saturday at noon