Top Riverhead Campaign Issues

Rural, not Retail
Riverhead's downtown and EPCAL developments spark concern as many residents feel they offer no direct local benefit and fail to preserve the town's cherished rural character. Instead, these projects, many avoiding required town permits, often strain existing infrastructure, natural resources, and services, leading to fears of an increased tax burden on current homeowners. The core issue is a perceived imbalance where large-scale growth outpaces the interests and capacity of the community. 

In the last 3 years, Riverhead's tax cap is exceeded because the Town Board prioritizes increasing spending on rising costs like insurance premiums, town official raises, and hiring outside law firm expenses to mitigate failed deals, rather than finding alternative efficiencies or challenging the financial burdens imposed by past decisions or certain development agreements.