Suffolk voters to decide on sales tax hike this upcoming election

Suffolk County voters will be asked in this election cycle whether they want to see their sales tax raised by an eighth of a percent to fund an expansion of wastewater treatment to protect the area’s ground and surface waters from nitrogen pollution.

Here's what to know about the question, which will appear on ballots this election season (early voting is Oct. 26 through Nov. 3. Election Day is on Nov. 5). 

What's the sales tax bump meant to do?

Adopting the Suffolk County Water Quality Restoration Act would provide a stable revenue source for the Subwatersheds Wastewater Plan, intended to reverse decades of nitrogen pollution and protect the aquifer and other water sources, according to the plan adopted by the legislature in 2020.

A 0.125% sales tax increase would boost taxes on a $1,000 purchase by $1.25. The increase would bring the sales tax rate in Suffolk from 8.625% to 8.75%.

The fund is expected to raise nearly $3 billion over 50 years and would go toward the expansion of sewers in more densely populated areas and grants for high-tech septic systems in others.

"The success of this referendum is critical to the environmental future of Suffolk County," County Executive Edward P. Romaine said in a statement. "At last the voters will have their chance to voice their support and protect our water for generations to come."

Voters will find the initiative listed under Proposal 2 on the back of the ballot.

How it works

The money would be used to fund sewer projects throughout the county.

This program also would expand the number of grants to homeowners whose properties are not connected to sewers to upgrade to a high-tech system, which can cost more than $30,000. The grants have been available and distributed since 2017 and can be applied for by visiting reclaimourwater.info. 

The revenue for the program will be overseen by a 21-member board whose members would require approval from the County Legislature. It will allow Suffolk to seek state and federal matching funds to finish construction on some $2.8 billion worth of sewer projects, officials have said.

Ten percent of the money raised would be allotted for the county to administer the fund.

The legislation would extend the existing quarter-percent sales tax drinking water protection program, which is currently set to expire in 2030, until 2060. The legislation would redirect money from the existing tax to fund septic systems as well as to stabilize sewer district taxes.

What are supporters saying?

A broad coalition of environmentalists, lawmakers, labor union leaders and builders have backed the plan, saying it will support development while protecting the environment.

Nearly 75% of Suffolk commercial and residential properties, or about 380,000, are served by dated septic systems that do not actively remove nitrogen from wastewater. Multiple studies have determined those septic systems are the primary contributor of nitrogen pollution in Suffolk’s waterways. Excess nitrogen can feed algae, leading to harmful algal blooms that can choke off oxygen and destroy aquatic life.

Harmful algal blooms were detected in 26 Suffolk water bodies in 2023, the most ever affected in the county in a single year since the state Department of Environmental Conservation began tracking blooms statewide in 2012. That includes 25 instances in Lake Agawam in Southampton that year alone.

The new systems would actively lower the nitrogen loads from human waste before it seeps into the groundwater.

"A lot of basic research that showed 70, 80, 90% of the nitrogen loading into our groundwater, which goes into our bays and harbors, is from untreated sewage," said Kevin McDonald, senior policy adviser for The Nature Conservancy, a nonprofit environmental group. "We know ... that most natural systems will recover from a pollution load if you take the pollution load away and make it less problematic."

What are opponents concerned about? 

Legis. Leslie Kennedy (R-Smithtown) was one of two Suffolk lawmakers that voted against the proposal in June, citing concerns over a tax increase and whether the money will be used for its intended purpose. The legislation forbids using the money for any purpose other than those outlined, but Kennedy pointed to a pending lawsuit seeking the return of nearly $200 million in sewer funding the previous administration diverted for operating expenses.

"There is no such thing in the county of Suffolk as a lockbox," Kennedy said.

Legislation authorizing a previous plan backed by former Democratic County Executive Steve Bellone cleared the State Legislature last year with support from environmentalists, labor unions and builders. The initiative died when Republican county legislators balked at sending the proposal to voters, saying it allotted too much for individual septic systems and not enough for sewers.

Supporters said the GOP did not want the initiative on the ballot in a year when all 18 legislators were up for reelection for fear it could turn out Democratic voters, an allegation legislative presiding officer Kevin McCaffrey strongly denied. The proposal was amended and adopted by the legislature in June.

By Vera Chinese

vera.chinese@newsday.com@VeraChinese

Vera Chinese covers Suffolk County government and politics. She joined Newsday in 2017 after working as an editor for the East End lifestyle publication northforker and a general assignment reporter for the New York Daily News.