Shelter Island Reporter Letters to the Editor: Nov. 5, 2026
A GOOD SHEPHERD
To the Editor:
Albert Dickson sat in for his final public meeting on Oct. 27 as the dedicated public servant he has always been.
Looking back on his terms in office, going against the tide more often than not, he always sought to serve this community in an environmentally responsible way. I’m sure he could get discouraged at times, but he stood his ground regardless. We must respect that kind of determination. After all, he came back to Shelter Island after moving away because he loved the life here — the life as he remembered it and sought to preserve it by serving this community.
If Shelter Island has a Good Shepherd, we had one in Albert, and how fortunate we were. He conducted Town business without bias or favoritism. He sought adherence to our Code as any good man of conscience would. His guiding principle was a simple one: The rules must apply equally to everyone without preference or prejudice.
Well done, Albert. You’ll be missed. I’m sure I join with many others on the Island to wish you good health and contentment in retirement. Thank you for all you’ve done.
CATHY KENNY, Shelter Island
COMPLEX CHALLENGES
To the Editor:
As the old saying, popularized by former House Speaker Tip O’Neill, goes, “All politics is local.” Perhaps nowhere is that more apparent than on Shelter Island.
This November, public hearings on the proposed 2027 Town Budget and the latest Comprehensive Plan will address a common question: What kind of community do we want Shelter Island to become, and what can we afford?
Our Island has evolved from a largely agrarian community into a desirable residential and seasonal destination. Today, we confront increasingly complex challenges involving water quality, housing affordability, environmental preservation, infrastructure, and development. The Comprehensive Plan proposes ways to address these challenges. But every proposal deserves another question: What will it cost, and how will we pay for it?
Consider the proposed 2027 budget. The Town Board’s tentative budget would have required a 10.75% increase in the tax levy before the application of additional fund balance. The Town Board subsequently reduced the proposed increase to 4.5%, largely through the use of additional fund balance, rather than comparable reductions in operating expenditures. Such decisions may provide short-term relief, but they deserve examination alongside the Town’s longer-term financial commitments.
Property taxes are part of the growing cost of living here, affecting homeowners, renters, and the working families essential to our community. The Shelter Island Republican Committee believes local government should be judged by practical solutions, sound financial planning, and accountability, for which we all bear responsibility. These principles are not exclusive to either political party. Some cost increases may be unavoidable, but how we plan for and manage them remains our responsibility.
Ultimately, local government is about people: their experience, judgment, and commitment to the community. Whatever our political affiliations, we share an interest in preserving the Island’s character and ensuring its future remains affordable.
Preserving Shelter Island’s future requires more than a vision. It requires an honest understanding of what that vision will cost.
SHELTER ISLAN REPUBLICAN COMMITTEE
HOW DO WE PAY FOR THIS?
To the Editor:
I question the financial acumen of our Town Board. They paid top dollar, $791,000, for a small property with a dilapidated house for which they had no specific use. Since they’ve settled on housing, after renovation (or tear down) they will have spent more than $1 million for a single “affordable” dwelling.
Now they want to put solar panels on the Recycling Center. The justification: a 13-15-year payback before realizing any savings. The norm in the business world is a 3-5-year payback for major capital expenditures. Taking a conservative view of the projections (which is prudent when acting in a fiduciary capacity), the Town will invest for 15 years with no return and then receive a possible return for 10 or more years, providing the technology is still viable and not obsolete. The real question here: Are we determined to do a green deal irrespective of the cost? From a financial standpoint, this one is marginal, at best.
How do we pay for all of this? Bonds, of course, added to the $9.5 million for the library. Keep in mind, all of this borrowing is at close to the highest interest rates in the past 20 years. The board is moving forward with these projects while wrestling with a 7% budget increase and paying lip service to keeping Shelter Island affordable.
I guess the Town Board has taken a page from the federal government’s play book. Just keep spending, keep borrowing, and pass the debt to the next generation. Let them figure out how to pay for it.
DON BINDLER, Shelter Island
FEELING OF FLIGHT
To the Editor:
I want to send a ‘well done’ to Susan Carey Dempsey on her fly-in article (‘Fly-in draws pilots, enthusiasts, spectators,’ Oct. 29). Wonderfully written and warm with the feeling of flight.
JAMES DAWSON, Shelter Island
