Riverhead Town budget

A town board public hearing has been set for Oct. 18 on a local law authorizing the town to pierce the tax levy limitation...

Riverhead Town came up more than $300,000 short in 2015, after revenue projections in its adopted budget missed the mark by nearly $1.9 million.

The chief's new $180,792 base salary — which is up $13,000 since 2013— only tells part of the story of his compensation package. Other payments, many of which are tied to his base pay rate, boosted his regular earnings to more than $215,000 last year — before a $112,000 sick and vacation time "buy back" brought his total compensation to more than $327,620 for 2014.

Councilman John Dunleavy’s proposal to provide an automatic annual raise for all elected officials died on the vine last night when he could not get the support of the four other town board members to set a public hearing on the idea. But the public had a hearing anyway.

Highlights of the Riverhead Town Board meeting on Nov. 17, 2015: law firm hired to defend federal lawsuit over use of water towers under leases with cellular companies; new accountant hired; 'World Prematurity Day' acknowledged.

Eligible homeowners in Riverhead Town would have received state rebate checks this fall equal to the 2015-2016 increases in county, town and school property taxes — had all taxing entities kept within the statutory tax levy limit.

News analysis: The time for making tough decisions about the 2016 town budget is passing quickly and, once again, Riverhead Town Board members have shown no appetite for partaking in the budget process in any serious way.

Riverhead officials will hear public comment tonight on a proposed local law authorizing the town board to override the state-imposed property tax cap for fiscal year 2016.

Riverhead Town’s tax rate will increase 4.08 percent under the $54.3 million town spending plan Supervisor Sean Walter has proposed for fiscal year 2016....

Riverhead’s senior citizen and recreation departments will be combined into one in a move that will increase programming and save the town about $1 million over the next five years, if a plan put together by the two department heads is approved by the town board.