Southold Supervisor's Tentative 2024 Budget Poses No Tax Increase

SOUTHOLD, NY — Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russell presented a tentative fiscal year 2024 budget of $56 million this week, spotlighting the sound fiscal management that has long been a tenet of his tenure in office: The tentative Southold Town 2024 budget proposes no tax increase for the coming year.

"I am pleased to report that Southold Town is in excellent fiscal health, with strong finances and a stellar outlook, as recently recognized by Moody's Investors Service," Russell said.

Russell, who first won the supervisor's seat in 2005, will not be running for reelection this year.

Total appropriations for the tentative operating budget, excluding budgeting for land purchases and Community Preservations Funds, stands at $56,827,330, Russell said.

The total appropriations for town operating funds for 2024 have been reduced from 2023, he said. "The result is that there will be no need for an increase in the tax rate for 2024. This will hopefully ease some of the impacts being felt by our residents from inflation," Russell added.

Highlights of the tentative budget in the area of public safety include the hiring of four new police officers to maintain staffing at current levels; hiring two public safety dispatchers and one harbormaster to maintain current staffing; providing funding for soft body armor to protect the safety of officers; investing in technological upgrades to ensure the optimum in public and officer response and safety; and five new front-line vehicles.

In the cybersecurity division, Russell said there will be a continued investment in the town's IT infrastructure and programming to ensure the security of vital systems.

As for infrastructure, approximately $1.9 million will be allocated to road construction, resurfacing, and maintenance; and there will be a continued commitment to stormwater mitigation and sidewalk installation and replacement throughout the town. Also, more than $500,000 in upgrades have been allocated toward the highway department's rolling inventory of vehicles and equipment.

With a continued eye toward protecting the environment, the tentative budget includes continued funding for the Narrow River Road water quality project; continued funding for town participation in the Peconic Estuary Partnership; stormwater mitigation and water quality improvement projects throughout the community; and $100,000 in new funding for a "Coastal Resiliency Preparedness Action Plan" to identify vulnerabilities from sea level rise and design, and to implement mitigation strategies.

The funds, Russell said, can be used for matching fund opportunities, and for entering into shared service agreements with organizations that are already undertaking, or will be undertaking, coastal resiliency study and mitigation projects.

In the area of town assets, parks and preserves, the tentative budget provides funding for upgrades and improvements to parks, buildings and infrastructure throughout the community. The tentative budget provides for gaslight upgrades along Love Lane; upgrades to the property recently acquired for a community park on the corner of New Suffolk Avenue and Main Road; as well as appropriations for continued work on the Bay to Sound project and upgrades to the Down's Farm Preserve.

"This budget is comprehensive, fiscally responsible, and sound," Russell said. "It adheres to my historic efforts to produce budgets that show fiscal restraint and conservative budgeting. Our excellent financial standing allows us to continue to maintain the services the public expects and deserves; it also allows us to do so while putting no additional financial burdens on them."

Russell added: "To be sure, there are challenges that needed to be met in this budget and must be expected to continue with changing cost drivers to the town."

The town's retirement contribution obligations increased by 15 percent this year and medical costs are increasing 8 to 10 percent, he said.

"In addition," he said, "high fuel costs and inflation of goods and services are presenting real strains on our budget. In addition, we must prepare for expected reductions in revenue from various sources including mortgage tax, sales tax share, and other sources that can be impacted by changes in the economic landscape. I would caution the new town board to maintain the fiscal restraint and sound budgeting of previous boards."

Russell thanked all the Southold Town department heads for their hard work and cooperation during the budget process. He also thanked Town Comptroller Kristie Hansen-Hightower, Deputy Comptroller Michelle Nickonovitz, Michelle Tomaszewski, secretarial assistant to the town board, and Lauren Standish, confidential secretary to the supervisor, "for their hard work and tireless efforts. It was their help and support that made a budget that is prudent yet meets the needs of the residents of Southold Town."