Glen Cove's 2026 budget advanced after a contentious council meeting in which Democrats accused Republican city officials of fast-tracking the plan with limited review.
Democrats on City Council objected to a Republican-led effort to close the public comment period after Mayor Pamela Panzenbeck gave a brief presentation on the $69.3 million budget.
Then, Republicans on the council moved to vote on the budget. Democrats accused the city of denying the public opportunity to comment on the plan. In the past, the city has held two public hearings before a vote is held, Democrats said.
The vote was 3-2, with one abstention. Four votes are required to approve a budget, but according to the city charter, any budget that's not approved becomes adopted by the fourth Tuesday of October.
Democrat