On the eve of an expected vote on the 2026 budget in Hempstead, Supervisor John Ferretti added a motion to his budget proposal to include information about the town's reserves following queries from Newsday.

The town board will hold afternoon and evening hearings on the budget Thursday, after which a vote is expected.

The budget does not include information about the town’s available reserves despite a state audit that warned that the town was required by law to provide those details. A motion posted on the town's website late Wednesday stated that the town estimates it will end 2026 with $129.1 million in fund balances but does not indicate what the balances are today or provide certain details.

The proposed $576 million budget would use up to $50 million of reserves, according to

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