The Local Observer — Huntington Pilot Edition

Vol. I, No. 1 Tuesday, November 10, 2026 Huntington Pilot Edition Price: Free

2027 Budget

Town’s preliminary budget would overshoot the tax cap by $22.55 million

Comptroller Jonas Wagner told the Town Board the $269.74 million operating plan raises the levy 18.4 percent. Adoption is scheduled for Nov. 17.

A livestream slide titled 2027 Preliminary Budget — At a Glance, listing a $269.74 million operating budget and a levy $22.55 million above the tax cap. — A slide from Town Comptroller Jonas Wagner’s presentation at the Nov. 5 Town Board hearing. Image: Town of Huntington livestream

Huntington, N.Y., Nov. 5, 2026 —

The Town of Huntington’s 2027 preliminary operating budget would spend $269.74 million, an increase of $24.40 million, and seek a property-tax levy of $169.94 million — $22.55 million above the $147.39 million the state’s tax cap would allow, according to a slide the comptroller showed during a public hearing that lasted more than an hour and a half.

Wagner said the plan uses $1.275 million of fund balance, keeps 699 full-time positions and includes a $17.425 million capital program. He told the board this is a preliminary budget, not the adopted one, and that the board is scheduled to vote on Nov. 17. Several residents urged the board not to pierce the cap. ▶ Watch this moment · 14:39

Full meeting recap →

Town Board

Hearing set on a further battery-storage moratorium; Village meters to be waived for the holidays

The board scheduled a Nov. 17 public hearing on an additional moratorium on permits for battery-storage systems. The posted agenda described a six-month pause; the resolution as read in the meeting called it a 12-month moratorium. The board also voted to waive Huntington Village parking-meter fees from Nov. 27 through Jan. 2, 2027, and to put up holiday lights. A license item for Manor Farm Park was removed at workshop. ▶ Watch this moment · 2:24:16 ▶ Watch this moment · 2:17:01

Sports

Northport blanks Huntington 17-0 in Suffolk II quarterfinal

No. 2 Northport beat No. 7 Huntington 17-0 on Saturday, Nov. 7, and is scheduled to host No. 3 North Babylon at noon on Nov. 14, according to Newsday’s high school scoreboard. Huntington’s boys soccer team beat West Babylon 2-0 on Nov. 6.

Sports section →

Oct. 2

Clerk delivers the supervisor’s tentative 2027 budget

In a meeting that lasted only a few minutes, Town Clerk Andrew P. Raia presented the supervisor’s tentative budget under Town Law §106(3). The board then adjourned.

The short session →

Aug. 11

Board splits 3-2 on a Melville hearing; tax-cap override is pulled

The Town Board voted 3-2 to schedule a public hearing on the Cornerstone Melville special-use permit, with Councilwomen Brooke A. Lupinacci and Jennifer Hebert voting no, according to the meeting captions. A tax-cap override resolution was removed at workshop, though residents still spoke against it.

Oct. 6

Board sets the Nov. 5 budget hearings and honors a taekwondo champion

Councilman Dr. Dave Bennardo introduced student-athlete Preston Parks, described as a four-time Team USA member and a national taekwondo champion. Later, with captions resuming near the end of the agenda, the board scheduled the Nov. 5 budget hearings and authorized a bond redemption of up to $1,615,000.

Sept. 15

A packed agenda, but no captions were posted

The official agenda and video index for the Sept. 15 meeting list hearings on Manor Farm Park, a disabled-veterans tax exemption, the noise code, and Cornerstone Melville. Because Granicus did not post a caption file, this recap does not report how the board voted that night.

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