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Thursday, October 12, 2023 ~ Volume 68 ~ Issue Number 51 ~ $1.00
Romaine Nabs PBA Endorsement
By Matt Meduri
Romaine (center) addresses reporters after receiving the PBA endorsement. (Credit: Matt Meduri)
A Deep-Dive on the Sewer Bills with Legislator Caracappa By Matt Meduri There is little to no doubt that the most pressing question ahead of next month’s elections is that of water quality, namely how it relates to Suffolk County’s handling of the issue. Since Suffolk County is built on sand and groundwater, which is our sole-source aquifer, the county’s approach must be mindful of different stakeholders and methodical when it comes to funding, planning, execution, and long-term effects. This summer, the Republican caucus of the Suffolk County Legislature came under intense fire for their dissatisfaction with a “sewer bill” that was presented to them after a long crafting period in Albany. As advertised, the bill would have instituted an eighth-cent sales tax increase to fund future sewer projects as well as create a countywide sewer district. Republicans expressed their dissatisfaction with the lack of earmarks for sewer installation, as well as protection for said earmarks, and further scrutinized the lopsided figures - no less than 75% of funds - earmarked for Innovative and Alternative Wastewater Management (I/A) Systems. Continued on page 16
FULL STORIES ON:
Carpenter’s Corner Page 10
Town Clerk & Receiver of Taxes Races Page 12 & 13
Local Girl Scouts Renovate Shelter Page 22
Credit: Matt Meduri
‘Holds No Water:’
With just a little under a month to go until Election Day, Brookhaven Town Supervisor Ed Romaine (R-Center Moriches) is sparing no expense on the campaign trail. Whether it be meet-the-candidates nights at various civic groups and community chambers, in-person acceptances of notable endorsements, or Q&A sessions that put his long governmental experience and sharp wit on public display, Romaine has been everywhere almost seemingly all at once. Romaine also landed a coveted endorsement earlier this week, one with historic implications: the Suffolk County Police Benevolent Association (PBA). The Suffolk PBA has not endorsed a Republican candidate for county executive in twenty years, since they endorsed Romaine over winner Steve Levy, then a Democrat, in the 2003 election. Continued on page 3