Brookhaven is one of eight Suffolk County townships that plans to pierce the state property tax cap next year, says Babylon Supervisor Richard Schaffer, also the president of the Suffolk County Town Supervisors Association. This marks the first time the town will do so.
Thereby halting the admission of waste from construction sites by December’s end, and from demolition debris soon after that, the move comes in the wake of Brookhaven Supervisor Dan Panico confirming the $21 million elephant in the room, per published reports.
Their ongoing landfill issue—though indisputably being addressed at this juncture—constitutes a massive hole blown smack through the town’s prospective budget.
"We budget conservatively. ... We don’t look to tax unless there is a need," said Panico. "I’m not going to decimate this town. I’m not going to stop preserving open space. I’m not going to let our parks go into disrepair. I'm going to be honest with our residents as to the costs of running, geographically, the largest town in the state of New York."
As town records reveal, construction and demolition debris, known as “C-and-D,” comprises more than 60 percent of the 1.1 million tons of waste buried annually at the Brookhaven landfill.
The budget proposal, released on September 26th, 2024, shows landfill revenue is expected to decline by 40.2 percent next year, from $53.5 million to $32 million.
The landfill’s forthcoming closing is expected to be about a three-year ordeal, as it will stop taking ash from local incinerators in 2028. On a related note, next year’s budget town will see Brookhaven officials rally to close the half-a-century-old municipal waste site, another source of revenue—outside of property taxes—they are just as eager to dump.
Consequently, town taxes on the average home would elevate to $18 a month in 2025—$216 for the full calendar year. This amounts to a 7 percent hike in spending; $337.4 million to $361.2 million, assuming such is approved by the town board at their November meeting.
Town board public hearings to discuss the budget, blowing past the tax cap and more will be held at 5 p.m. on November 7th, 2024 at Brookhaven Town Hall, located in Farmingville. Five votes—not four—are needed to solidify the tax cap-piercing decision.
Notably, Smithtown and Huntington plan to steer clear of piercing, according to Schaffer.
The South Shore Press reached out to members of The Smithtown Board for comment, to which Councilman Thomas Lohmann signified the focal points of the town’s statement on this year’s budget.
“Although we are not piercing the 2% tax cap this year, we stand in full solidarity with our neighboring towns and municipalities that have had to make that difficult decision,” the statement reads.
“To put it bluntly, the current system is unsustainable. State mandates, combined with economic challenges, are making it harder for municipalities to operate without cutting back on the services that our communities rely on. It is imperative that we come together with our fellow towns, County government, and State leaders to find a better path forward—one that allows us to manage costs without sacrificing the well-being of our residents.”