Pages 12 &13
Thursday, October 24, 2024 ~ Volume 69 ~ Issue Number 47 ~ $1.00
Zeldin Holds Rally
Against Proposition One By Matt Meduri In less than two weeks, New Yorkers will decide on two ballot propositions. The first one, colloquially referred to as “Proposition One,” would add antidiscrimination language to the State Constitution. Many Democrats tout it as a need to protect abortion rights in New York, while many Republicans consider it a “Trojan horse.” The text will appear as such on the ballot in front of voters: “Adds antidiscrimination provisions to State Constitution. Covers ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, and sex, including sexual orientation, gender identity and pregnancy. Also covers reproductive healthcare and autonomy.” A vote in favor of the proposition would add these protections to the State Constitution. A vote against would leave these provisions out. The abstract of the bill, available on the New York State Board of Elections’ website, says that the current protections in the Constitution cover race, color, creed, and religion. The proposal would add “ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, and sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes, and reproductive healthcare and autonomy.” Continued on page 8
Lee Zeldin speaks against Proposition One (Credit - Matt Meduri)
Landfill Claims $21M Hole in Budget
Tax Cap Pierce Expected By Matt Meduri
The closure of the Brookhaven landfill was pushed another two years down the line, after a previous goal of having it shut down for good at the end of this year. However, the decline in revenue from the landfill now threatens the Town with a $21 million shortfall in the budget. Town officials are now weighing whether to pierce the tax cap, which would deliver an added $18 per month tax increase to residents - $216 for the whole year. The budget would hike spending by 7%, increasing from $337.4 million to $361.2 million. Brookhaven is just one of eight towns in Suffolk County who plan to pierce their tax caps next year, according to Babylon Supervisor and president of the Suffolk County Town Supervisors Association Rich Schaffer (D-North Babylon). Only Smithtown and Huntington do not plan on making a similar move. The landfill is projected to stop taking construction and demolition debris (C-and-D) at the end of December. C-and-D represents more than 60% of the 1.1
million tons of refuse stored annually at the site. Revenue is expected to slide 40% next year. The losses coincide with declines from the American Rescue Plan (ARPA), the federal COVID-19 relief plan that granted Brookhaven $55 million. Revenue losses from the landfill are expected to be somewhat offset from green energy projects, such as the offshore Sunrise Wind project. However, Supervisor Dan Panico (R-Center Moriches) has contended that slightly raising taxes is a more viable alternative to cutting services. Councilman Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook) agrees with the plan. Five votes on the seven-member board are required to pierce the cap. A public hearing on the budget will be held at 5:00p.m. on November 7 at Town Hall, located at 1 Independence Hill in Farmingville. This is a developing story.
FULL FULLSTORIES STORIESON: ON:
Candidate Spotlight: Anthony Palumbo Page 3
Key Race Endorsements Page 10
Andrew Garbarino vs. Rob Lubin Page 12 & 13