Shelter Island Reporter Letters to the Editor: Feb. 21, 2026
AN UNJUSTIFIABLE TAX BREAK
To the Editor:
On the heels of its last-minute push to buy a dilapidated property for $791,000 and borrow up to $2 million rather than use money in the Community Housing Fund, the Town Board unveiled proposals to increase or create new tax breaks for various groups.
The proposals to increase existing tax breaks for seniors below a certain income level and for newer members of the Fire Department and EMS make sense. The first would help people who need help. The second would help people who help us all and would encourage people to volunteer for the SIFD and EMS.
The proposal to create a new tax break for those constructing new ADUs is another story entirely.
There would be a benefit to the town if the ADUs had to be rented at an affordable rate, but that is not the case. To the extent the proposed tax break is for those recipients who will get a $125,000 ADU grant, further benefits seem unjustified and unnecessary.
The Reporter article implies that the tax break would only benefit those who receive such a grant, which has an income limitation. Unfortunately, the resolution says no such thing. Someone adding an ADU to their mega-mansion would seem eligible for a tax break also.
When the Town itself and many taxpayers are under financial stress, it is troubling that the cost of this proposed tax break cannot be reasonably quantified — but even a minimal cost would not justify an unjustifiable tax break.
Finally, the Board continues to prohibit public comments and questions at work sessions if a matter, like this one, is subject to a later hearing. By hearing time, resolutions are hard to modify; they are usually a done deal. This practice disrespects the public and decreases the chances of improving or rejecting flawed resolutions.
STEPHEN JACOBS, Shelter Island
KICKING THE CAN
To the Editor:
In the last issue of Reporter, former supervisor Art Williams responded to Lynne Weikart’s prior letter about the unsustainable drawdown of the Town’s reserves. He attempted to reassure the public that drawing down on reserves is a common budget practice, fund balances are reviewed annually by independent auditors and subject to State guidelines and financial oversight.
Such generalities can’t obscure the fact that the Town’s budget (expenditures) grew 35% in the last five years on the current supervisor’s watch. In 2026, it grew 5% to $17.7million, but the tax levy grew only 2% to $13.0 million. The gap was closed by an 8% increase in revenues (mainly fees) to $3.8 million and an unprecedented 35% — $900,000 — increase of transfers from funds and reserves.
As for the annual review of fund balances by independent auditors, the latest Town audited financial statements posted on its website are for 2023! The most recent unaudited Town Financial Report was for 2024. It showed “Unassigned Fund Balance” having declined $500,000 to $2.4 million at year-end 2024. Since the 2025 budget called for a drawdown of $670,000 from the reserves, unassigned reserves may have dropped as low as $1.7 million by year-end 2025.
As Lynne Weikart correctly observed, financing the growth of Town’s expenses by keeping the growth of tax levy low and drawing deeper on reserves is unsustainable. Supervisor Brach-Williams seemingly kept the growth of the tax levy far below growth of Town’s 2026 budget to aid her campaign for reelection. Going forward, unless we see the supervisor and Town Board undertake a serious effort to reduce Town’s expenditures, taxpayers will likely see as high as double-digit increase in their property taxes, perhaps as soon as next year. One can kick the can down the road only for so long.
JAN SUDOL, Shelter Island
WINTER BLUES
To the Editor:
Many of us suffer from the winter blues for various reasons. Cold fatigue, light deficiencies and the flu virus, but there is another cause of the winter blues that we all may suffer from.
The annual winter off-the-wall Town Board proposals while folks are out of town. This month the decision to purchase 2 School Street will increase our property taxes for the next five years. Given the location of the property in C-Residential zone, the only practical use would be for affordable housing, so why is the Town Board electing to front a five-year bond at taxpayers’ expense instead of using funds from the $1,500,000-plus Community Housing Fund for this purchase at no cost to us?
Now the school is reporting an increase in taxes will be necessary next year. Another hit to full-time residents, many of whom are senior citizens with children no longer in school.
Now the Town Board is proposing to adopt a law that will exempt properties with new Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) from taxes for a period of 10 years if $3,000 or more is spent by the property owner to create such housing. Mind you, this housing is not restricted to affordable housing or rent controlled, nor is it for first responders or volunteer firefighters or seniors or veterans. If ADU landlords can charge any outrageous rent they want, then why do they need a tax break?
On Feb. 23, at 6 p.m., the Town will be holding a public hearing on this Tax Exemption Law. It is time overburdened taxpayers show up to be heard. Tell your neighbors, friends and families to attend via Zoom. Enough is enough; stop spending unnecessary taxpayer’s money.
The more properties that are exempt from tax, the greater tax burden is on us.
PAM DEMAREST, Shelter Island
MAKE TIME
To the Editor:
Everyone should take a few minutes to read the wonderful piece by student Ryan Sanwald in February’s The Inlet, Shelter Island School’s newspaper.
It’s a testament to the next generation of hunters/outdoorsmen and women having an appreciation of the inherent ties that bind us to nature. It is all about the beauty of the wild among us. The woods teach us lessons far beyond just hunting, and this young man really captured it.
It makes me hopeful of the tradition carrying on. Every month there is excellent journalism taking place. Make time for this paper.
JULIA WEISENBERG, Shelter Island
