The five fire districts serving Riverhead Town and nearby portions of Southampton and Brookhaven towns will hold public hearings next week on their proposed budgets for 2027.
The proposals range from a slight spending decrease in Flanders to a 24% increase in Manorville, where a substantial increase in the district’s contributions to reserve funds accounts for most of the additional appropriations.
Below is a rundown of each district’s proposed budget and hearing information, alphabetized by district name.
Flanders Fire District
Flanders Fire District has proposed a budget of $883,974 for 2027, a decrease of $941, or 0.11%, from 2026.
The district anticipates a real property tax levy of $723,974, an increase of $19,059, or 2.7%, over 2026. The levy would rise despite the slight spending decrease because estimated revenues would fall by $20,000, to $160,000.
The budget hearing will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 20 at 6 p.m. at the Flanders Fire House, 19 Firehouse Lane, Flanders.
Jamesport Fire District
Jamesport Fire District has proposed a $1.31 million budget for 2027, an increase of $36,466, or 2.86%, over its adopted 2026 budget.
The district anticipates a real property tax levy of $1,175,756, an increase of $38,745, or 3.41%, over its adopted 2026 levy, after application of estimated revenues of $135,718.
The district’s 2026 meeting schedule lists the budget hearing for Wednesday, Oct. 21 at 7:30 p.m.
Manorville Fire District
Manorville Fire District has proposed a $2.99 million budget for 2027, an increase of $578,716, or 24.03%, over its adopted 2026 budget.
The proposal includes $625,000 in contributions to reserve funds, up from $145,000 in 2026. That $480,000 increase accounts for about 83% of the overall budget increase. The proposed contributions include $550,000 for the district’s truck reserve fund and $75,000 for its capital reserve.
Manorville Fire Commissioner Charles Steuerwald said the district decided to save money for future new truck purchases rather than borrow funds to purchase them. Instead of paying interest on bonds, the district will collect interest on its savings and use its savings plus interest to buy the new trucks it needs in the future.
The district anticipates a real property tax levy of $2,693,581, an increase of $538,716, or 25%. Other revenues total $293,000.
The district covers portions of Brookhaven and Riverhead towns. The proposed levy apportioned to Riverhead Town properties is $179,121, up $35,824 from 2026.
The budget hearing will take place on Monday, Oct. 19 at 7 p.m. at the main firehouse, 14 Silas Carter Road, Manorville.
Riverhead Fire District
Riverhead Fire District has proposed a $6.4 million budget for 2027, an increase of $148,909, or 2.38%, over its adopted 2026 budget.
The district anticipates a real property tax levy of $5.845 million, after application of estimated revenues of $203,966 and appropriated fund balance of $351,558. The proposed levy is $160,000, or 2.81%, higher than the 2026 levy.
The district takes in portions of Riverhead, Brookhaven and Southampton towns. Its preliminary budget does not specify how the 2027 levy would be apportioned among the three towns.
The budget hearing will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 20 at 6 p.m. at Riverhead Fire Department Headquarters, 540 Roanoke Avenue, Riverhead.
Wading River Fire District
Wading River Fire District has proposed a $5.677 million budget for 2027, an increase of $444,530, or 8.5%, over its adopted 2026 budget.
The district anticipates a real property tax levy of $4.882 million, an increase of $319,530, or 7%, over 2026. Estimated revenues of $795,000 include $560,000 from medical billing, $165,000 in payments in lieu of taxes and $70,000 in interest earnings.
The district straddles Riverhead and Brookhaven towns. The proposed levy apportioned to properties in Riverhead Town is $2,991,529, or 61.28% of the district’s total levy.
The budget hearing will take place on Monday, Oct. 19 at 5:45 p.m. at Wading River Fire District Headquarters, 1503 North Country Road, Wading River.
How the property tax cap works
New York’s property tax cap limits the annual increase in the tax levy — the total amount a district raises through property taxes. It does not limit overall spending or guarantee that an individual property owner’s tax bill will increase by no more than 2%. Fire districts are also subject to a separate statutory spending limitation. State comptroller’s explanation.
The starting point for calculating the levy limit is the lesser of 2% or the inflation rate calculated under state law. For 2027, State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli’s office calculated an inflation factor of 3.13%, making the allowable levy growth factor 2% for all five districts. That is one component of the calculation, rather than each district’s final allowable increase. Comptroller’s 2027 announcement.
Each district calculates its own limit using a formula that accounts for growth in its taxable property base, such as new construction and improvements. The formula also adjusts for payments in lieu of taxes, known as PILOTs, and permits limited carryover of unused taxing authority from the previous year, up to 1.5% of the prior year’s levy limit. These adjustments can allow a levy increase greater than 2%.
Additional allowances cover certain court orders or judgments arising from tort claims and qualifying increases in state retirement-system contribution rates. The pension allowance applies to the portion attributable to an increase in the system’s contribution rate exceeding two percentage points, rather than any increase in a district’s pension bill. Transfers of responsibility for government functions can also change the limit. State tax-cap formula.
District-specific calculations were not included in the budget materials released by the districts as of presstime, and the comptroller’s Open Book New York database showed no 2027 tax-cap data for the five districts when checked Oct. 15. State law requires districts to submit the calculation information to the comptroller before adopting their final budgets; it does not require submission before the budget hearings. Final fire district budgets must be adopted by Nov. 4.
Fire commissioners may override their district’s calculated levy limit by passing a resolution with approval from at least 60% of the full board — three members of a five-member board — before adopting a budget that exceeds the limit. A proposed levy increase above 2% therefore does not, by itself, establish that an override is necessary.
The survival of local journalism depends on your support.
We are a small family-owned operation. You rely on us to stay informed, and we depend on you to make our work possible. Just a few dollars can help us continue to bring this important service to our community.
Support RiverheadLOCAL today.
