Book it: Shelter Island Town Board passes 2024 budget

The Town Board held a special meeting on Tuesday afternoon to unanimously vote for a 2024 town budget.

The total budget for next year will be $12,490,096. After taking $667,587 from the town’s fund balance and reserve funds, the total amount to be raised by taxes will be $11,822,509, or an increase of 6.3% over the 2023 budget. This year’s budget totaled $11,124,586.

According to the Board, appropriations are up by approximately 8.3% and revenues are budgeted to be up approximately 10.3%.

What this will mean to homeowners is that, for example, a home valued at $500,000 will see a tax increase in 2024 of $74 from what the homeowner paid this year.

Over the past 10 years, the average increase in town budgets has been 4.6%, with the highest percentage increases coming in 2020 with a 5.9 percent rise, and 2015 when the budget increased 6%.

BEACH FIRES

At the regular Board work session, a homeowner went before the Town Board to see if there is anything to be done about beach campfires that might get out of hand with grasses, trees and homes close by and in danger of catching fire. Joan Wicks of Hay Beach said that some fires are a mere 12 feet from the beach grass and trees.

Ms. Wicks told the Board that fires close to her property have been increasing, and last summer shifting winds had become stronger. She wondered if signage would be effective. Although against “No trespassing” signs, she asked if there could be signs designating where a campfire could be set.

Supervisor Gerry Siller said that beach campfires “are a tradition on Shelter Island,” and he had noticed there have been many more since the pandemic brought more people to the Island.

Ms. Wicks had originally gone to Police Chief Jim Read, who said at the work session that her concerns should be considered, and provide “food for thought” for the Board. The chief said that his department checks on many fires, especially in July and August at Crescent and Wades beaches.

He noted that it could be an issue of public vs. private property, and that the public has a right to access and be on beaches below the median high-tide line. Ms. Wicks said none of the fires she’s observed were below that line.

The board agreed to look into the situation.