NY A11057

Appropriates $200,000 from the state general fund for fiscal year 2020-2021 to the East End Supervisors and Mayors Association to update a financial feasibility study on creating Peconic county.

Peconic county would be created from five towns in Suffolk county: East Hampton, Riverhead, Shelter Island, Southampton, and Southold, and would become New York's 63rd county.

The proposed Peconic county territory has a population of 136,793 (9.2% of Suffolk county) but represents 45.7% of Suffolk county's real property tax base.

A 1995 feasibility study concluded that real property taxes in the new county could be reduced by 50% while maintaining or improving service levels, with minimal financial impact to remaining Suffolk county.

A 1996 non-binding referendum in the proposed territory passed 71% to 29% in favor of requesting the legislature hold a binding referendum on county creation, which was never held.