Halpin and Rothwell field questions at Heart of Riverhead candidates forum

Riverhead supervisor candidates Jerry Halpin and Ken Rothwell answered community questions during the Heart of Riverhead Civic Association’s Oct. 21 forum at Riverhead Free Library.

Wednesday night’s event saw the largest turnout of the three candidate forums hosted by local civic organizations. Nearly every seat was filled in the Grand Room on the library’s lower level for the wide-ranging question-and-answer session. 

Many of the topics discussed were discussed at the forums hosted by Greater Jamesport and Greater Calverton/Wading River civic associations in the past week: downtown parking, downtown flooding, housing, code enforcement and accountability for violators, ICE enforcement, EPCAL redevelopment and liability for refunds when the town loses court cases that challenge property tax assessments.

Below are 10 of the 15 questions posed and the candidates’ responses.

Questions were read by Heart of RIverhead Civic Association member Garret Moore.

Downtown flooding

Question: How would the candidates address persistent Peconic River flooding, and would they work with knowledgeable residents on solutions?

Halpin: Halpin said downtown development projects should incorporate flood mitigation and that the town should work with residents and the Army Corps of Engineers on long-term planning. He cited the proposed Peconic Hotel’s flood protections and said the town must consider conditions decades into the future.

“We have to look not just 10 years down the road, but 30, 40 years down the road,” he said. 

Rothwell: Rothwell said flood mitigation was central to the downtown revitalization plans before the town invested in the project. He described raising buildings and grading the site so riverfront areas could flood without water reaching the buildings, and said the town had worked closely with the Army Corps of Engineers.

“We have a flood mitigation plan,” he said.

Public opinion and major development proposals

Question: How would the candidates consider public opinion on five-story apartments, battery energy storage systems, warehouses and data centers?

Rothwell: Rothwell said elected officials should listen to residents and generally follow the majority’s wishes. He said battery storage projects should be kept away from residential zones and that he had prepared code amendments. He opposed data centers, saying they would not deliver the high-paying jobs he wants at EPCAL.

“I’m here to represent everyone from every hamlet in the town of Riverhead, and I do my best,” he said.

Halpin: Halpin emphasized his listening tours, meetings with town departments and opportunities for employees to suggest improvements. He said he sometimes takes time to respond at public meetings because he wants to understand concerns and give a considered answer. He did not offer separate positions on the development types named in the question.

“I’m listening to understand, and I want to have peace about a decision I make or something I’m going to say back to you,” he said. 

Code enforcement and neglected properties

Question: How would the candidates hold owners of neglected or problematic properties accountable and enforce rules on signage, boarding houses and dark skies?

Halpin: Halpin supported the additional code enforcement staffing approved by the Town Board and said it would allow more proactive enforcement. He said existing blight and building rules need to be put into action and encouraged residents to report problems affecting neighborhood safety.

“So I think, as a community, we also have to look out for one another and point out things that we see are a true problem,” he said.

Rothwell: Rothwell credited his work with Council Member Joanne Waski for adding two code enforcement officers and shifting the town from responding to complaints to inspecting streets proactively. He said summons revenue was covering the officers’ costs, while stressing that improving quality of life was the purpose.

“We need to change the quality of life, and we need to be proactive instead of reactive, and that’s exactly what we’ve been doing this past year,” he said. 

Enforcing land-use rules

Question: Would the candidates commit to enforcing town rules when developers proceed without approvals or fail to comply with requirements?

Rothwell: Rothwell disputed the question’s premise that the Planning Board fails to enforce land-use rules. He defended its review process and said violations by developers are addressed through code enforcement, fire marshals and the town attorney’s office, including fines and court actions.

“But if anybody proceeds without the proper permits in hand, they are going to be held accountable,” he said.

Halpin: Halpin defended town employees while saying applicants must be held accountable when they violate requirements. He linked digitizing building permits to improving the approval process and said he had added a position in the fire marshal’s office to strengthen safety oversight.

“I believe it needs to be harder to ask for forgiveness than it is permission,” he said. 

Relations with the Riverhead school district

Question: How would the candidates improve the town’s relationship with the Riverhead Central School District?

Halpin: Halpin described his longstanding ties to the district and said the town should focus on improving its own performance rather than criticizing other institutions. He supported school resource officers and discussed potential internships and opportunities for students to learn about municipal work.

“I’m very supportive of the SRO program because of what it brings to our community and to our children,” he said. 

Rothwell: Rothwell defended the town’s role in restoring school resource officers and said the district had been expected to assume their full cost after two years of town contributions. He said a recent work-session discussion had gone poorly and offered to meet with the school board for a fuller discussion.

“I am never going to let the SRO program fail,” he said. 

Assessment challenges and tax refunds

Question: How would the candidates address the cost of the Friar’s Head assessment case and potential additional refunds?

Rothwell: Rothwell defended the assessors’ work and said the town’s equalization rate complicates assessment disputes. He said refunds affect residents through the county tax bill and argued that townwide reassessment would help distribute the tax burden more fairly.

“The town needs to consider a townwide reassessment plan,” he said, beginning the excerpt mid-sentence. 

Halpin: Halpin said additional assessment-related charges were coming and that the amount was not yet known. He said he had asked whether town fund balance could cover the refunds but was told by auditors that it could not. He supported reassessment while emphasizing its cost and the need to balance competing priorities.

“We do need to reassess, but we need to be able to afford that,” he said, beginning the excerpt mid-sentence. 

ICE concerns and proposed OLA legislation

Question: Would the candidates hold a public discussion of concerns about immigration enforcement and OLA’s proposed public safety law?

Halpin: Halpin said he had met with OLA representatives and was willing to meet again, but would not bring their proposed legislation to a work session. He said he did not believe it offered greater protections than existing state measures and town procedures, including procedures for handling warrants.

“The laws that we have give us the boundaries to live in. How we enforce those laws will tell the generation after us who we are,” he said.

Rothwell: Rothwell cited his work with Hispanic community and business organizations and said he had reviewed OLA’s proposal with a community representative. He argued that state action had addressed many concerns and said the town should follow applicable laws and respect the limits of its authority. He did not commit to a public meeting.

“We are not a federal agency. We don’t create federal guidelines,” he said. 

Recycling and solid waste

Question: How would the candidates expand recycling requirements in condominium and apartment complexes and prepare for the anticipated closure of the Brookhaven landfill?

Rothwell: Rothwell said he had been working with Reworld on an ecology and recycling site. He advocated separating materials such as glass, paper and cardboard to recover their value, providing residents with better drop-off options, and expanding food-scrap collection.

“Riverhead does not do its share in terms of recycling,” he said. 

Halpin: Halpin called solid-waste disposal an immediate concern and said he had joined other supervisors in seeking state assistance. He urged better use of recyclable materials and broader food-scrap collection, including at schools and hospitals. Neither candidate specifically committed to new recycling requirements for condominium or apartment complexes.

“We can also make sure we’re looking at what recyclables not only make money but make sense to keep out of the landfills,” he said, beginning the excerpt mid-sentence. 

EPCAL and community participation

Question: Would the candidates continue collaborating with the Citizens Cooperative Development team on EPCAL’s future?

Halpin: Halpin said he continued to meet with the group and welcomed ideas from other organizations as well. He described discussions with Empire State Development and railroad representatives and said EPCAL should become an economic engine while retaining recreational and environmental assets.

“So we have to explore everything. We have to hear every idea,” he said. 

Rothwell: Rothwell supported participation by civic groups and residents throughout town. He emphasized high-paying jobs and a stronger tax base, opposed taxpayer spending on a rail spur without a committed user, and said developers should bear development costs. He also opposed state involvement that he argued would reduce local control.

“We, as a town, together will decide how to move forward,” he said. 

Riverhead Charter School

Question: What were the candidates’ positions on the charter school’s application for state reauthorization?

Rothwell: Rothwell said he had not seen the specific application. He focused on land-use and occupancy limits, defending his opposition to trailers behind the school’s Sound Avenue facility and saying any expansion must comply with zoning and building requirements. He did not state a position on reauthorization itself.

“That’s an agricultural zone,” he said. 

Halpin: Halpin supported parental choice but questioned the charter-school funding system, citing costs for transportation and nurses and calling for state-level reconsideration. He agreed that the school must comply with zoning and code requirements. He did not explicitly endorse or oppose reauthorization.

“But I do believe the charter school system is taxation without representation,” he said. 1

Top priorities

Question: What are the candidates’ top three priorities?

Rothwell: Rothwell emphasized a new Riverhead Volunteer Ambulance Corps facility, controlling taxes and digitizing the building department. He said fundraising and ambulance insurance billing would finance the facility without taxpayer money, credited Town Board amendments with reducing the proposed tax increase, and said a simpler permitting process would save money and support revenue.

“We need to make it simpler process,” he said of the building department. 

Halpin: Halpin emphasized continued listening and community outreach, improvements to the Justice Court building, and advancing downtown and EPCAL development. He said court improvements should become a priority in the second half of 2027, with work in 2028. He also proposed adding a public relations employee to better publicize town activities and local attractions.

“We have to fix our court building. We have to make it safe for people that go there,” he said.