Year in review: Riverhead’s 2025 budget pierces state-mandated tax cap
The Riverhead Town Board unanimously approved the final draft of its 2025 budget on Nov. 19, which includes $73.5 million in townwide appropriations and a total of $117.2 million in overall expenditures. Riverhead was among four other East End towns that pierced the state-mandated 2% tax cap on annual tax increases.
In the same meeting, Town Board officials voted in favor of a local law authorizing an override of the statewide tax cap with a 7.89% hike — the town’s largest increase since the cap was enacted in 2012. Last year’s budget saw a 4.86% tax increase.
The pierced tax cap derived mainly from general fund spending in the budget — calculated at $64.8 million — which increases $4 million over 2024, according to the adopted budget document. This was largely attributed to rising insurance premiums and retirement costs, as well as contractual obligations to replace old vehicles for the police, fire marshal and building and grounds departments.
On the impact this budget has on taxpayers, Jeanette DiPaola, the town’s financial administrator, previously told the News-Review that a house with a value of $720,000 will incur an estimated townwide property tax increase of 80 cents per day — or $288 a year — and the cost of residential waste removal will increase to roughly 18 cents per day.
The Riverhead Police Department accounts for almost half of the new budget, which included $175,000 for five new police vehicles. At a Nov. 7 public hearing, Ms. DiPaola said the town is spending $200,000 more on new radios because Suffolk County is changing its radio frequency system, rendering the Riverhead department’s current equipment obsolete.
“It’s necessary to increase our police presence and all the equipment that is necessary,” Councilman Kenneth Rothwell said before voting yes to the budget adoption.
In the tentative budget — the draft presented before approval — Town Supervisor Tim Hubbard was expected to receive a $10,000 salary increase. In the newly adopted budget, the town supervisor will receive a raise of roughly $3,700.
Town board members will also receive slightly smaller in salary bumps, down to nearly $1,600 instead of the tentative budget’s proposed $3,600. Town justice salaries will rise 5.6%, from $88,800 to $93,800. The town tax receiver and the town clerk will get a 5.6% raise, from $88,038 to $93,038.
Council members Joann Waski and Mr. Rothwell had previously stated that they would not accept salary increases. Mr. Rothwell reiterated his decision at the Nov. 19 meeting and asked that the financial administrator not issue the pay raise for his position.
The full adopted 2025 budget can be viewed on the Riverhead Town website.
Original reporting by Ana Borruto.
