Riverhead approves $121M budget despite backlash

The Riverhead Town Board on Tuesday passed a $121.1 million budget for 2026 — approving a tax levy override despite backlash from residents for once again piercing the tax cap and pleas to slash spending.

The unanimous 5-0 vote came just ahead of the state-mandated Nov. 20 deadline. The town’s 2026 budget includes a 7.74% tax levy increase and a 6.74% townwide property tax rate hike.

The total operating budget will be roughly $112 million. The tax cap is exceeded in the general fund, which is increasing by $1.9 million next year, according to the town’s accounting department.

The budget exceeds the state’s 2% tax cap by approximately 4.63%, resulting in an increase of approximately $275 per year for a home valued at $735,000.

“Our police presence is up, [an] increased police force to 100 officers — it does come with a price, but we are a better town, we are a safer town. Nobody wants to see [taxes] go up, but it does pay in terms of quality of life,” Councilman Kenneth Rothwell said before voting yes on the 2026 budget.

Spending on the Riverhead Police Department is where a majority of the budget increases lie. The total police department budget for 2026 is nearly $35 million, a bump of roughly $3.1 million over this year.

“We put a lot of thought into this process. I do think there is an additional tax increase to it, but the police chief has stood before us in work sessions and stated the crime rate is down,” Mr. Rothwell said.

Throughout the budgetary process and public comments, Riverhead Town officials remained firm on the decisions made for next year’s budget and stressed that certain mandated costs were out of their control.

Riverhead Town Supervisor Tim Hubbard — who remains in a too-close-to-call race against political newcomer Jerry Halpin — and fellow council members have blamed the increases on unavoidable health insurance premiums, state retirement rates and contractual police raises that would have otherwise forced elimination of nearly 15 town positions.

To minimize the tax cap breach, town officials denied all merit raise requests and added no new positions for 2026. The only salary increases approved were for civil service promotions and a 3.25% raise for elected officials excluding Town Board members, matching contractual increases for CSEA employees.

Mr. Hubbard also noted reductions of $319,009 in equipment and $216,000 in vehicle expenditures.