The proposal: let the East End decide on Peconic County
5towns: East Hampton, Riverhead, Shelter Island, Southampton, Southold
160,337residents in those towns (2020 Census), about 10.5% of Suffolk
71%of East End voters backed a separate county in the 1996 advisory vote
1995the year of the last full feasibility study
The idea and its history
Peconic County would be New York’s 63rd county, formed from Suffolk’s five East End towns and named for the Peconic Bay they share. Supporters argue that a county of farms, fisheries, beaches and small hamlets is governed poorly by a county government whose population, politics and priorities lie mostly in the western towns.
The effort peaked in the mid-1990s. A 1995 feasibility study found a new county could be financially viable, and projected that East End property taxes for county services could fall substantially. In 1996, East End voters supported separation by about 71 to 29 percent in a non-binding vote. Bills to create the county never became law. Then-Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver never allowed them to advance, reportedly in part because of concern that they would set a precedent for Staten Island to leave New York City.
After Silver left the speakership in 2015, then-Assemblyman Fred Thiele said it might be time to look again. In 2020 he introduced a bill to fund a $200,000 updated feasibility study for the East End Supervisors and Mayors Association. It died in committee. We know of no active campaign today, which is why this proposal starts with an updated study and a binding vote.
What a new county would have to settle
Creating a county is a large undertaking. An honest proposal names the hard questions up front:
- The county seat. Riverhead is already Suffolk’s county seat, home to the County Center, courts and the county jail. Suffolk would need a new seat, and the two counties would have to divide or share those buildings.
- Assets and debts. Roads, parks, buildings and Suffolk’s outstanding debt would have to be divided fairly, with an independent process for disputes.
- Services. Social services, public health, the courts, the District Attorney, the Sheriff, elections and county roads would all need to be stood up or shared by agreement. The five towns already run their own police departments, which simplifies policing.
- Taxes. The 1995 projections are three decades old. Only a new study can tell residents what a Peconic County would cost them, which is why it comes first.
- The rest of Suffolk. Western Suffolk residents are affected too. A fair plan protects them from bearing the cost of the split.
How it would happen
Only the State Legislature, with the Governor’s signature, can create a new county. This proposal asks Albany to take three steps in order:
- Study. Fund an independent feasibility study, updated from the 1995 work.
- Enabling act. Pass a law creating Peconic County that takes effect only if East End voters approve it.
- Binding vote. Hold a referendum in the five towns, followed by a transition period and the county’s first elections.
Outline of a state enabling act · Draft for discussion, not bill text
AN ACT to create the county of Peconic from the towns of East Hampton, Riverhead, Shelter Island, Southampton and Southold, subject to approval by the voters of those towns
Section 1. Findings.
The East End’s distinct character and the 1996 advisory vote; the purpose of letting its voters decide.
Section 2. Creation and boundaries.
Peconic County is formed from the five towns, including the villages within them, with the remainder continuing as Suffolk County. Sovereign tribal lands within those boundaries are unaffected.
Section 3. Referendum.
The act takes effect only if approved by a majority of qualified voters in the five towns voting at a general election, with ballot language and a plain-language summary set by the State Board of Elections.
Section 4. Transition commission.
A commission with members appointed by both counties and the State divides assets, liabilities and employees, sets interim service agreements, and refers disputes to binding arbitration.
Section 5. County government.
An interim governing structure, first elections for county offices, and a charter commission whose proposed charter goes to the voters.
Section 6. Courts, elections and state programs.
Conforming changes to judicial districts, the county court, the District Attorney, the Board of Elections and state aid formulas.
Section 7. Protections.
Existing contracts, collective bargaining agreements, pensions and bonds are honored, and no resident of either county loses a service during the transition.
Section 8. Effective date.
A transition period of at least two years after the referendum, with the new county beginning on January 1 of the year that follows.
Next steps for this proposal: the outline above shows the shape of the law Albany would need to pass. Turning it into bill text is work for legislative counsel, ideally in partnership with the East End town supervisors and the region’s state legislators.
Sources
Civestor Advocacy