Says It Supports Raising Taxes for Improving Water Quality
By Hank Russell
A Suffolk County legislator who opposed the proposed sales tax increase that is on the ballot next month was shocked to learn that the Suffolk County Water Authority (SCWA) sent out a letter to its ratepayers that he says shows thinly veiled support for Proposition 2.
The proposition, which goes up for a vote on November 5, calls for a 0.125% tax hike, with the new revenue stream going towards upgrading the existing sewer infrastructure and the installation of I/A septic systems.
In a letter to ratepayers obtained by Long Island Life & Politics, the authority noted that, if the one-eighth-percent tax increase were to pass, it would generate between $50 million and $55 million a year “towards these critical infrastructure projects.
“How would this impact you as an SCWA customer?By preventing contamination at the source, we avoid the need for expensive treatment systems that would otherwise cost you our ratepayers millions of dollars,” the letter stated. “These treatment systems would ultimately increase water rates, a burden we seek to avoid.”
The SCWA said the money raised from the new sales tax “could also support efforts to improve the water quality of our bays and estuaries. Modernizing sewage infrastructure and reducing nitrogen pollution will enhance our groundwater resources.”
Legislator Robert Trotta (R-Fort Salonga) — who, along with Leslie Kennedy (R-Hauppauge), voted against putting the sales tax proposal up for a vote — called the SCWA letter “inappropriate,” saying the “quasi-government agency should not be advocating for anything,” especially “raising taxes.”
In a June 23 interview with LILP, Trotta said the proposed increase is “the equivalent to an increase of 120% in the general fund tax.” He also said the money would go to pay for union contracts instead of clean water initiatives and the referendum is “a lie and a fraud on the taxpayers.”
Trotta said the county already has millions of dollars in surplus funding, thanks to federal Covid funding. This, he said, means that passage of this ballot measure would be unnecessary.
LILP reached out to SCWA about Trotta’s comments. Spokesperson Dan Dubois said in a statement, “The SCWA Board unanimously voted to send the letter to our customers. As Suffolk County’s largest drinking water provider, we have a responsibility to inform our customers about matters that affect the preservation of our sole source aquifer.”
Dubois emphasized the letter “does not advocate for a particular vote on Proposition 2 but, it does highlight how it could benefit ongoing efforts to protect this critical resource. We believe it’s important for everyone to be informed about this significant issue ahead of Election Day.”
“It’s not their job to understand the county’s finances,” Trotta retorted. “They should stay out of it. … What they should advocate for is clean water.”