The Tax Bill
This past weekend, if you are the average resident, or rather a homeowner living in the Riverhead Township, you will have received your property tax bill for the year 2010, (first half payable by the end of December 2009 and the second half payable at the end of May 2010).

The school tax portion of your bill is now between 54% and 60% of your total bill with the school tax increasing by 3.9% alone. The library tax seems to be about the same. You may remember, and not too long ago, when your total tax bill was not greater than that shown for school taxes alone.

This ever increasing burden on homeowners is a never ending tale of school districts everywhere being unable or unwilling to reduce spending or just say no during contract negotiations. There are other elements to this story, however, and should not be ignored.

Just this past week we saw the Town IDA (Industrial Development Agency) hand out a 10 year, 100% tax abatement to the new Hyatt Hotel to be built adjacent to the Atlantis Aquarium. That abatement will save the hotel over 3.75 million dollars in taxes. The Aquarium itself enjoys an abatement which saved them from paying over $500,000 in taxes in 2009. The Summerwind project (52 apartment units, stores below) will probably get the same treatment.

To her credit, School Board President Angela DeVito asked the IDA to limit the Hyatt abatement to 50% in order to benefit the schools and unburden the citizens. She was voted down. Is this Town only about the downtown business district?

The Town officials better get the message on accountability or you may see a lot more For Sale signs than you have already.