Smithtown Town Board Regular Meeting - November 3, 2026

At the November 3, 2026 regular meeting, the Smithtown Town Board unanimously approved two resolutions related to the fiscal year 2027 budget: advertising the public hearing on the preliminary budget and enacting Local Law #13-2026 to override the New York State tax cap. Due to an advertising error, the board also accepted public comments on the 2027 budget on the record, ahead of the formal public hearing scheduled for November 12, 2026.

Resolutions Approved

• The board voted unanimously to authorize the Town Clerk to advertise a public hearing on the Town of Smithtown Preliminary Budget for fiscal year 2027, to be held Thursday, November 12, 2026 at 7:00 PM at the Eugene Cannataro Senior Citizens Center, 420 Middle Country Road, Smithtown, NY.
• The board voted unanimously to enact Local Law #13-2026, previously heard as Proposed Local Law #16-2026, entitled 'A Local Law to Override the Tax Cap Established in New York General Municipal Law Section 3-c for Fiscal Year 2027.' The agenda identified this as a SEQRA Type II action.

Town Clerk's Announcement

• Town Clerk stated that the required legal notice for the budget public hearing was not forwarded to the Smithtown News, the town's paper of record, due to an administrative error in the Town Clerk's office. Because the original hearing date had been published and shared on social media, the town did not want to postpone public comment. Anyone wishing to comment on the preliminary budget was allowed to speak tonight, and the comments will be part of the record. The formal public hearing remains scheduled for Thursday, November 12, 2026 at 7:00 PM.

Budget Presentation and Discussion Items

• The Supervisor presented the 2027 preliminary budget as fiscally responsible and focused on preserving Smithtown's quality of life, essential services, and critical infrastructure. Spending will increase approximately 5.5%, driven primarily by unfunded state mandates, fixed obligations, and inflation.
• The most significant increases cited were: $1.9 million for NICE health care insurance for employees (up 10.33%); $792,043 for required New York State retirement contributions (up 10.12%); $300,000 from state-enacted Tier 6 retirement changes; $1.87 million in full-time salaries, primarily under existing collective bargaining agreements; $235,000 in solid waste disposal; and $175,000 in waste-to-energy processing.
• The total projected increase for the average assessed home was stated as approximately $117.65 per year, or 6.44%. Of that amount, $23.12 (1.4%) was attributed to a court-ordered LIPA tax shift; the remaining town-related increase was about $94, or roughly 5%. For a home assessed at $5,500, the town portion increase was about $94 annually, or $1.81 per week. The Supervisor said the town-controlled tax increase was cut almost in half compared with last year.
• The Supervisor said Smithtown has secured $32 million in grants over three years, with another $18 million pending, to help offset taxpayer costs.
• He argued that staying within the state's 2% tax cap would have limited the levy increase to $1.6 million, but the town was already about $3 million over the cap before the budget was built. The alternative, he said, would be significant service cuts, including eliminating 29 full-time positions, ending the summer concert series, eliminating town funding for the Mills Pond House, Smithtown Historical Society, Smithtown Theater, and Calderon Theater, and reducing leaf/brush collection, sidewalk maintenance, and emergency-response overtime.
• The Supervisor defended maintaining healthy reserves rather than using them for recurring expenses, citing the town's triple-A bond rating and the need to cover emergencies. He cited $1.4 million in costs from a blizzard cleanup and $2.2 million from a September 25-27 Nor'easter that brought down 217 trees, noting FEMA reimbursement can take 18 to 24 months or longer.
• He also reported that a hiring freeze and delayed replacements produced a $74,000 surplus.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Randy Weiner of 4 Asbury Drive, Smithtown: Opposed the proposed tax increase and criticized the presentation that taxes must rise or employees would be laid off. He said hardworking town employees were being used as 'hostages' to raise taxes, asked what other budget options were rejected, called the approach 'gross negligence,' and warned that voters would remember at election time.
• Irwin Eisen of 17 Horseshoe Lane, Commack: Criticized the repeated narrative of state mandates, inflation, and tax increases. He asked for concrete solutions, including a zero-based budget, consolidation of departments such as waterway navigation, environmental protection, conservation advisory council, and forestry, and possible use of reserves. He said taxpayers deserve a different approach and called for a change in government mindset.
• Lori White of 91 Cedar Road, Kings Park: Describing herself as a CPA with an MBA, she said the town's budget documents are insufficient and not transparent. She stated the town added three positions this year, raised debt by $57 million since 2019, and that principal and interest payments have more than doubled to almost $7 million annually. She also argued the board controls overtime, which feeds the retirement system, and called for problem-solving rather than unfunded-mandate explanations.
• Robert Ansbach of 1135 St. John Road, Kings Park: Expressed support for continued investment in local sports fields and recreational facilities for youth. He described such spending as an investment in children and the community, not an expense, and said youth organizations need safe, suitable places to practice and play.

Key Outcomes

• The board unanimously approved advertising the November 12, 2026 public hearing on the 2027 preliminary budget.
• The board unanimously enacted Local Law #13-2026, overriding the state tax cap for fiscal year 2027.
• Public comments on the 2027 preliminary budget were accepted into the record at the November 3, 2026 meeting despite the advertising error.
• The formal public hearing is scheduled for Thursday, November 12, 2026 at 7:00 PM at the Eugene Cannataro Senior Citizens Center. The Supervisor noted the budget must be voted on by November 20, 2026, and indicated the board vote would likely occur at the November 19 board meeting.