Dougherty calls out Cuomo, says he threatens home rule

Supervisor Jim Dougherty took Governor Andrew Cuomo to task at the Town Board’s Tuesday work session for what he characterized as threatening Shelter Island’s sovereignty.

Using a mixture of sarcasm and straight ahead charges, Mr. Dougherty said that in a misguided effort to reduce property taxes, Mr. Cuomo was in fact attempting to “allow Albany to take over running Shelter Island, which avowedly is on his agenda.”

The issue is a state mandated 2 percent cap on local property taxes and the governor’s call for towns and villages to consolidate services to save money.

In mocking tone, Mr. Dougherty announced that Saturday had been happy day for him since he “received my tax freeze credit check of $34.”

The property tax freeze credit reimburses qualifying New York State homeowners for increases in local property taxes over the state imposed maximum.

Mr. Dougherty said he paid $5,107 in property taxes and the check he received from the state “is a refund from Governor Cuomo of six tenths of 1 percent.”

Later the supervisor noted that he’s “reserved a hall for a celebration,” paid for with his $34 refund check.
“A hall closet?” Councilman Paul Shepherd asked.

On consolidating services, Mr. Dougherty said there was a June deadline to come up with a plan to share the work of police, fire, sanitation and ambulance departments with other neighboring municipalities.

Mr. Dougherty pointed out that this was extremely difficult for an Island town to achieve. If the state mandates consolidation, it will weaken the Island’s ability to govern itself, Mr. Dougherty said.

In other business:
The supervisor said that at a recent meeting of the East End Supervisors and Mayors Association, which he chairs, there were no dissenting voices to East Hampton’s plan to severely restrict air traffic, especially helicopters, into East Hampton Airport. A public hearing is scheduled for March 5 in East Hampton on a proposed law that would impose the restrictions.

At the Town Board meeting Friday, February 13, Mr. Dougherty reported that the town had received $84,400 from the New York State Department of Health for the 4-poster program to reduce tick-borne diseases. A 4-poster is a feeding stand that brushes deer with a chemical, permethrin, which kills ticks. Mr. Dougherty thanked State Senator Ken LaValle (R-Port Jefferson) for his efforts to secure the funds for the town.

There is $2 million in the town’s general checking account, Mr. Dougherty reported, and as of the end of January there was $1 million in the Highway Department’s checking account. The Ambulance Reserve Fund was at $305,000, Mr. Dougherty reported.