Three Issues on Ballot for Election Day

Town of Brookhaven residents will be able to vote next week on three fiscal propositions that could potentially have a great affect on the Town's finances.

The Town Board unanimously approved the resolutions that revolve around property tax, a spending cap and debt management plan.

This year, Suffolk County is using the new "Imagecast" voting machines and the three propositions will appear on the back of the paper ballot used with the new machines, Town officials said.

This will be the first time that the new voting machines will be used for a general election in the Town of Brookhaven and voters must remember to turn over the paper ballot in order to cast their vote on the propositions.

"It is logical that we should only be spending and borrowing money if we have the ability to pay it back and we should not balance the budget on the backs of the taxpayer," said Supervisor Mark Lesko in a statement. "These are tough fiscal times and if passed, the property tax cap, spending cap and debt management plan will help to shrink the size and cost of government."

A closer look at the propositions (according to the Town):

• A property tax cap, which will cap yearly increases in the property tax rate to no more than 4 percent in the Town-wide General Whole Town Fund and Part Town Fund.
• A spending cap, which will limit the yearly increases in the Town-wide General Whole Town Fund by an amount not greater than the three-year average of revenue plus the three-year average population growth rate.
• A debt management plan, which limits new debt so that total debt service does not exceed 15 percent of revenues or expenditures, whichever is less. Currently, the Town's debt service is 24 percent of expenditures, which is a significant strain on the Town's budget.