Town budget

Riverhead Supervisor Yvette Aguiar has proposed a $5.5 million town-wide spending increase in 2024. The spending, which covers new police officers and...

The Town Board voted 3-2 last night to approve a 2023 operating budget that pierces the tax levy cap and raises the tax rate by more than 4%. Supervisor Yvette Aguiar voted no, citing amendments to her tentative budget proposed by council members — all but one of which she voted to approve at the board’s Nov. 1 meeting. 

Riverhead Supervisor Yvette Aguiar is proposing a nearly $3 million spending increase, or 4.9%, in the three town-wide funds in 2023, requiring the town to pierce the 2% tax levy cap imposed by state law.

Supervisor Yvette Aguiar said she was able to “offset inevitable spending increases including contractual expenses and higher health insurance premiums” and also enhance town government operations by saving money this year and utilizing non-tax sources of revenue.

Riverhead Town’s credit rating has been upgraded by Moody’s Investors Service from Aa3 to Aa2. The town's rating was downgraded from Aa2 to Aa3 in 2015.

Riverhead Supervisor Laura Jens-Smith has proposed a $100,390,400 total town operating budget for 2020, calling for a 2.76% spending increase and a 2.58% increase in the town-wide tax rate.

The changes aired publicly at last week's work session are not incorporated into the preliminary budget set for a public hearing tomorrow afternoon.

Time is running out on the Riverhead Town Board’s opportunity to comply with N.Y. State Law and adopt an operating budget for the coming fiscal year.

The proposed spending plan would mean an “average increase of $45” to town taxpayers, according to Supervisor Sean Walter, who said the budget is balanced and fully funded.

Riverhead Town Supervisor Sean Walter delivered his 2017 town budget to the clerk and council members this morning and, as he told the board...