Riverhead Town budget

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.

With EPCAL redevelopment still more vision than reality and cash reserves running out, Riverhead Town faces a budget gap it won't plug without major tax hikes, layoffs or both. For real. Tough decisions must be made during a heated local election season by a board that hasn't even adopted a budget for four of the past five fiscal years.

The 2-percent property tax levy cap will be extended through 2020, under an end-of-session deal announced this afternoon by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Senate leader John Flanagan.

The assistance Supervisor Sean Walter has been hoping to get from a state financing authority to refinance Riverhead's staggering CPF bond debt is far from guaranteed.

Split board approves department consolidation, 7 employee promotions and/or raises; town planner's retirement, payout made official.

Longtime Riverhead planning director Rick Hanley has put in his retirement papers effective Jan. 3, according to Supervisor Sean Walter. He will 'bump' a less senior planner from her position for three days.