About Us

The Village of Sands Point, New York, which covers almost 3,000 acres at the tip of the Port Washington peninsula, was incorporated in 1910. (The Villages of Motts Point and Barkers Point were absorbed in l917). It is now home to more than 850 families, who enjoy its quiet rural atmosphere on the North Shore of Long Island less than 25 miles from Manhattan. Sands Point is a residential village: the only non-residential establishments permitted within the Village are houses of worship, primary and secondary schools, the Village Club, a nature preserve owned and maintained by Nassau County, a private golf club, and the Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults. All of Sands Point is zoned for single-family dwellings only, and no partial rentals are permitted.

Most municipal services are provided for residents by the Village. Sands Point has its own water and police departments. The Village supplies refuse removal through its contract with a private carter. Most of the roads in Sands Point are owned by the Village, which contracts with independent firms for cleaning, plowing, and repair services. Fire protection, school, library, post office, and ambulance services are provided to Sands Point residents through the Port Washington Fire Department, School District, and Post Office. There are no sewers in Sands Point; solid waste is disposed of by private cesspools maintained by each home-owner.

Village services are paid for with funds raised primarily through Village property taxes. Sands Point residents also pay property taxes to the Port Washington School District, which supports the public schools and the public library; to the Town of North Hempstead; and to Nassau County. (County taxes are included in the Town tax bills.) Sands Point receives other income from its various fees, and from the state and federal governments.

The Village budget is drafted by the Mayor and adopted by the Board of Trustees. The Mayor and Trustees are elected by registered voters in annual elections held in the Village Hall during the third week in June and are responsible for the enactment of all Village laws and the appointment of all Village personnel, including the members of all other Village boards and commissions. (see Village Boards, Officials and Staff)

The Incorporated Village of Sands Point is governed by the Mayor and four Village Trustees, all of whom are elected to two-year terms. The terms are staggered so the entire board does not turn over in any single election. The Village Justice is elected to a four-year term.

Customarily, each trustee is appointed by the Mayor to a one year term as either Deputy Mayor, Roads Commissioner, Water Commissioner, or Building Commissioner. All four present trustees are Police Commissioners with one-year terms. The Village Board of Trustees also serves as the Sands Point Board of Assessors. Other Village officials appointed by the Mayor, subject to approval by the Village Board, are: members of the Board of Zoning Appeals, Planning Board, and Historic Landmarks Preservation Commission; Village Clerk-Manager; Police Chief; Acting Justice (Village Justice is an elected position); Treasurer; Village Attorney; Village Engineer; Registrar of Vital Statistics; and Village Historian. None of these officials are paid except the Village Clerk-Manager, Attorney, Engineer, and Police Chief. Village employees include the Village Hall staff, hired by the Clerk-Manager on the advice and consent of the Board of Trustees; assistant building inspectors; police officers; Water Superintendent and two assistants. Village officials, with a few exceptions, must be residents of Sands Point; Village employees may not be.