Smithtown Town Board Regular Meeting - November 4, 2025

The Smithtown Town Board held a regular meeting on November 4, 2025 at 7:00 PM at the Eugene Cannataro Senior Citizens Center. The main agenda items were a public hearing on the preliminary 2026 operating budget and a resolution to adopt Local Law #9-2025 to override the state tax cap. After extensive public testimony, the board voted unanimously to override the tax cap and close the hearing.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Fred Gorman (resident): Opposed piercing the tax cap for the first time. He argued the town should use its $45 million fund balance instead of raising taxes, and warned that breaking the cap would harm the Republican Party.
• Irwin Izen (resident): Thanked the board for past adherence to the tax cap but criticized the proposed 10% tax hike. He called for innovation, consolidation of departments, and a more transparent budget format. He also noted he had not received a return phone call from the comptroller.
• Robert Murphy (Highway Superintendent): Detailed 50–83% cost increases for salt, sand, dump fees, and vehicle purchases since 2012. He stated the highway department has already reduced staff from 140 to 120 through attrition, and a further 10% reduction would delay snow removal and severely impact brush and leaf pickup.
• Janice Melrose Brown (CPA, resident): Questioned the math behind the claimed $3/week increase, pointing out that for a resident with $10,000 in total property taxes, a 10% town tax increase would be $1,000, not $160. She requested clearer communication from the town and the comptroller.
• Catherine Caillat (Deputy Director of Public Safety): Urged the board to override the tax cap to maintain public safety staffing, training, and equipment. She stated that without the override, critical services could be reduced or eliminated.
• Doreen Perrino (Senior Center Program Director): Provided statistics showing over 11,000 meals served, 15,766 transportation trips, and 1,093 repair jobs completed in 2025. She warned that a 10% cut would devastate senior services, as the department already operates with a lean staff of 20 full-time and 30 part-time employees.
• Joseph Arico (Director of Buildings & Grounds, Parks): Detailed that budget cuts would force closure of water parks, abbreviated field schedules, closure of picnic areas, cancellation of camping, and reduced hours at Hoyt Farm. He said all town facilities would face delayed openings.
• Brandon Modrov (Recreation Department): Encouraged residents to enjoy the town's recreation programs, noting thousands of children, families, and seniors benefit annually. He referenced the negative impacts of COVID shutdowns and argued that cuts would harm youth development.
• Mike Englemann (Solid Waste Coordinator): Explained that the town manages waste for 37,000 households. He said cuts would reduce collection frequency, volume, and quality, and could impair compliance with state mandates. He noted disposal costs have risen due to contractual escalators and stagnant electricity rates.
• Kathi LaPointe (lifelong resident, first-time speaker): Opposed overriding the tax cap, asking for scrutiny of vehicle fleet purchases and raises for town hall employees. She requested tax relief programs for struggling residents.
• Barbara Coniglio (Youth Advisory Board adult member): Spoke about the positive impact of the Youth Bureau on the community, including bullying prevention, food drives, and intergenerational programs. She also expressed support for the Department of Public Safety for assisting her after a hit-and-run.
• Alexandra Wasielesky (Youth Advisory Board Chair): Stressed that the Youth Bureau provides mentorship and life skills, and urged the board to continue funding the bureau.
• Liana Cheng (Youth Bureau Secretary): Highlighted the bureau's fundraising, donation drives, and events like Mad Scientists, and asked for continued funding.
• Dolores Riconda (resident): Opposed the tax increase, suggesting volunteers, internships, and salary freezes. She argued that government should focus on essentials only.
• Emma Schultz (Smithtown East student): Described how the Youth Bureau has positively impacted her and her community through volunteerism and friendship.
• Eileen Cook (resident): Opposed the increase, noting she had been laid off. She argued that residents face the same constraints and called for using reserves and fighting unfunded mandates at the state level.
• Mike Rosato (resident): Stated that no school district in Smithtown has broken the tax cap, and accused the board of giving themselves raises while planning a 10% tax increase. He also alleged wasteful spending on artificial turf fields and nepotism. He raised a procedural objection to town officials speaking during the public portion.
• Leigh Wixson (Animal Shelter Director): Noted that the shelter already operates with only 10 staff and cannot afford cuts. She warned that reductions could lead to failing state inspections and jeopardize the town's no-kill policy.
• Brianna Pelletieri (Youth Bureau employee and parent): Emphasized the bureau's partnerships with school districts and its impact on children and families. She said a funding cut would severely limit services with a small staff.
• Andrew Greene (unemployed resident): Called for due diligence and transparency. He questioned specific expenditures such as $300,000 in office supplies and an $850,000 increase for ReWorld, and urged the board to avoid assumptions that all residents can afford a tax hike.
• John Banzer (resident): Expressed anger at the board, accusing it of wasteful spending and poor communication. He demanded pay cuts for officials and said the town should prioritize filling the food pantry and infrastructure.

Discussion Items

Supervisor Edward R. Wehrheim opened the public hearing with a video presentation explaining the 2026 preliminary budget. The video stated that the town faces a $7 million deficit due to unfunded mandates, inflation, and rising costs. The proposed budget would increase town taxes by about $161 per year ($3/week) for the average household, a 9% rise. The video argued that staying under the tax cap would require laying off 46 full-time and 132 part-time employees, cutting senior transportation, youth programs, recreation, and leaf/brush removal. The town has never pierced the state tax cap before. Supervisor Wehrheim noted that 82% of the tax increase is needed to cover the $7 million in unfunded mandates, and that discretionary spending would remain at 2025 levels.

During the public portion, Supervisor Wehrheim gave a brief clarification that the town does not receive state aid like school districts, and that tax breaks for commercial businesses are under county jurisdiction (County IDA), not the town.

Key Outcomes

• The public hearing on the 2026 preliminary budget was closed by unanimous vote (5-0).
• The Town Board adopted Local Law #9-2025, entitled "A Local Law to Override the Tax Cap," by unanimous vote (5-0). This law authorizes the town to adopt a budget for fiscal year 2026 that exceeds the state tax levy limit, as permitted under General Municipal Law Section 3-c. The action was deemed a SEQRA Type II action.
• The meeting was adjourned.