Government

Councilwoman Giglio still working on repaying past taxes

BARBARAELLEN KOCH PHOTO | (L-R) Anthony Coates, John Dunleavy and Jodi Giglio at a debate last year.
BARBARAELLEN KOCH PHOTO | (L-R) Anthony Coates, John Dunleavy and Jodi Giglio at a debate last year.

Riverhead Town Councilwoman Jodi Giglio said she and her husband, Mike, haven’t been able to pay back any of the approximately $12,000 in taxes they didn’t pay on past improvements to their Baiting Hollow home.

At the beginning of 2014, Ms. Giglio said she planned to start paying off the amount and spread the payment out over several years.

“I’m still working on it,” she said this week. “I’ve got a lot of people that still owe me money. It’s just a matter of time.”

She said she remains committed to paying it back, even though she’s not legally required to.

Earlier this year, town assessor Laverne Tennenberg said state law only permits the town to collect unpaid taxes on improvements going back one year, even if — as in this case — the improvements went untaxed for several years prior to that.

If the Giglios want to pay more than what’s required, they would have to do so as a gift or donation to the town, Ms. Tennenberg said.

Ms. Giglio says that’s what she intends to do, but it will have to done a little later than anticipated.

In an interview last week, Ms. Giglio said clients of her permit expediting business owe her about $20,000 and that she will repay the town when she gets paid.

“The economy is bad right now, but I have really good clients,” she said. “When they can afford to pay me, they’ll call. I’d rather take it then.”

She said she hopes to have the entire $12,000 paid to the town by next year.

“Everyone thinks I’m crazy,” Ms. Giglio said. “Nobody else would have to do that, but since I said I would, I will.”