Property taxes

When LIPA-owned properties were switched to tax-exempt as required by state law, the town could no longer issue tax bills to LIPA and instead had to collect payments in lieu of taxes, known as 'PILOTs.' Riverhead is the only Suffolk town that still hasn't collected the LIPA PILOTs, though LIPA has been trying to pay.

Commercial property owners in Riverhead have gotten their tax assessments reduced by tens of millions of dollars through litigation over the past five years. 

The Riverhead Central School District, which last July filed a notice of claim against the town demanding remittance of school tax revenues, has again not received the full property tax remittance due on June 30.

The district is seeking payment of nearly $4.2 million, plus interest, in property tax money the district says is owed to it by the town on the district’s $86.77 million 2019-2020 tax levy.

Suffolk County is asking the governor to approve a 45-day waiver of penalties and interest on second-half property taxes for Suffolk property owners suffering economic hardship due to the COVID-19 crisis.

While Riverhead Town Hall remains closed to the public, there are several ways to make payments,Riverhead Receiver of Taxes Laurie Zaneski said.

Property tax payers in Suffolk may get a little breathing room on the May 31 deadline to remit their second-half property tax payments, now that Suffolk County is eligible to tap into a federal short-term financing program — easing pressure on county government, which doesn't see any property tax revenue until after the second-half taxes are collected.

Riverhead property owners who were furloughed and unpaid during the federal government shutdown now have until April 25 to pay their first- half 2018-2019 property taxes.

Riverhead officials will head to Wall Street this summer, hoping to at least maintain the town's current credit rating.

The nearly 40 percent increase in allowable exemptions don't take effect unless approved by the Riverhead Town Board.