Taxes would rise slightly next year under the budget proposed by town supervisor Daniel J. Panico.
The average homeowner living outside a village such as Patchogue, and not included in a special district, would see a 1.43 percent increase as part of a $367.2 million budget.
The budget earmarks $6 million for parks and $4 million for open-space preservation while coming in under the state’s 2 percent cap on tax increases for local governments.
Next year’s proposed tax increase compares with a 7 percent increase in 2025.
“This proposed budget reflects our dedication to responsible governance,
environmental stewardship, and transparency for the residents of Brookhaven,” Panico said in a press release.
The town tax makes up a small percentage of a taxpayer’s overall tax bill: 3.72 percent for those living in villages and 7.35 percent for those living outside villages.
Those living in one of the town’s nine ambulance districts would see a decrease of 1.3 percent for ambulance services.
Homeowners would also pay less for trash collection and recycling: $396 compared with $401 last year.
Under the proposed budget for 2026, the supervisor, town board members, superintendent of highways, town clerk and receiver of taxes would each receive a 2.5 percent increase.
The budget includes three new positions to help expedite the permitting process to shorten the amount of time it takes to obtain building permits.
It also funds 12 positions at the Holtsville Ecology Animal Sanctuary—six full time and six part time—but only through the first quarter of 2026.
Panico announced on Sept. 29 that the facility will close gradually and the animals transferred to other animal sanctuaries.
“While a nostalgic place that many have come to visit over time, the increased and pressing fiscal demands of running such an operation simply do not align with the core functions of a town government,” Panico said in his budget message.
A public hearing on the budget is scheduled for Nov. 6 at 5 p.m. at Town Hall.
The new salaries for town elected officials under the new budget would be:
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