Shelter Island Supervisor’s 2026 budget draft is at $17.5 million: 2.2% increase with infusion from fund balance 

Town Board members and the public got a look at the tentative budget for 2026 created by Supervisor Amber Brach-Williams on Tuesday. It calls for expenses totaling $17.5 million, a 2.2% increase from the current year’s budget.

The supervisor’s draft arrived weeks before it had to be presented to Town Board members. State law requires the initial draft to be presented by the end of September.

Ms. Brach-Williams noted the increased spending is offset by the infusion of $405,000 from the Town’s reserve fund. She credited department heads for avoiding calls for additional staff and programs and stayed the course with proposals for spending as close to the current year as possible. Without the reserve money, she said the spending increase would be at 5.4%.

The supervisor is proposing staff pay increases to be held at 2.5%. Police and Highway department staffs are on contracts with police raises caped at 2.4% and Highway Department employees capped at 3%.

In response to a question about whether Town officials can shop for lower health insurance premiums, Ms. Brach-Williams said it would take an HMO to cover workers with benefits lower than what they currently receive, and the unionized police and highway changes in coverage could only be altered when each of those unions is negotiating a new contract.

The supervisor acknowledged the hiring of one new officer this year, but said it was necessary in view of anticipated retirements in 2026.

One significant number is still outstanding, which affects retirements. The State typically issues information on retirement pay by October, but all Ms. Brach-Williams could do was use numbers from the current year as an estimate. Once the state indicates the number that has to be incorporated, it could represent a major bounce or a slight decline from what it costs this year.

She reminded her Town Board colleagues and the public that a large percentage of the budget represents fixed costs over which the Town has no control. They are bound by existing contracts, insurance costs and services necessary to the operation of the local government.

Councilman Gordon Gooding wanted an estimate on the percentage if the budget over which the Town has no control ­— 40%, 45% he speculated. Without confirming a specific number because Ms. Brach-Williams did not have all of her backup budget available for a session that was intended just to make the budget available and set work sessions to deal with potential changes, it could be higher, she said. But since this was the first time the 2026 budget draft has been presented, Ms. Brach-Williams said she didn’t want to be locked into specific numbers beyond what her draft listed.

The next step was to work out budget sessions, which typically begin with the Town Board looking at the supervisor’s draft and raising questions about what might be cut  and what might have to be added.

Once the line-by-line review ends, any member can request that specific department heads make themselves available at subsequent meetings to explain their requests and hear questions from Town Board members.

Since the two largest department budgets are those submitted by the Highway Department and the Police Department, their leaders — Ken Lewis Jr. for the Highway Department and Police Chief Jim Read have always sought and been given appointments to speak with the entire Town Board.

A list of meetings that begin Thursday, Sept. 11, has been created and there are likely to be some changes along the way to accommodate both Board members and department chiefs.

Currently, the schedule calls for all sessions to be open to the public in person or on the Town’s YouTube Channel, but these are work sessions for Town Board members and no public questions or comments can be accepted. The public will have an opportunity on Wednesday, Nov. 5, to comment or question at a public budget hearing. Once the hearing is closed, Town Board members will discuss the comments and make decisions about whether or not to make further changes before voting to adopt a 2026 budget some time in November.

The budget work session schedule is as follows:

• Thursday, Sept. 11, 1 to 4 p.m.

• Wednesday, Sept. 17, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 to 4 p.m.

• Tuesday, Sept. 23, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

• Friday, Sept. 26, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

• Monday, Sept 29, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m

• Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2 to 4 p.m.

• Thursday, Oct. 16, 1 to 4 p.m.

• Friday, Oct. 17, 1 to 4 p.m.