Town Board to vote on $3,000 donation from councilwoman

The Riverhead Town Board is expected to vote on a resolution Wednesday accepting a $3,000 donation from Councilwoman Jodi Giglio to partially make up for taxes she and her husband didn’t pay after they made improvements to their Baiting Hollow home without permits. 

Ms. Giglio, who previously estimated the amount not paid to be about $12,000, vowed to pay the money after the issue came to light during her 2013 re-election campaign.

“I said I would do it and I’m doing it,” Ms. Giglio said Friday. “The town could really use the money.”

State law only allows towns to go back one year in recouping back taxes, according to town assessor Laverne Tennenberg, so any payments beyond that have to be made as donations. The Giglios’ tax bill increased by more than $5,100 in 2014, nearly half of which was for repayment of the previous year’s taxes

Ms. Giglio intends to pay the $3,000 in installments of $250 each month this year, according to the resolution. She said she plans to continue to make payments in future years.

There was no comment on the resolution at last week’s Town Board work session.