The local level of government is the one that has the most effect on the community, by far. Despite the high-profile elections at the federal level, the hyper-local level of government is where most focus should be concerned. We’ll take a broad look at County and Town governments, as well as distinguishing the differences between villages and hamlets.
County Level Government
Suffolk County is the most populous suburban county in the nation. It’s also home to a diverse electorate and a varied set of profiles: agriculture, tourism, industry, energy, development, and working-class neighborhoods, to name a few. In addition to being a bedroom community of New York City, Suffolk is also an economic powerhouse for the northeastern region of the country.
That said, attentive county-level government is necessary to keep a county like Suffolk running smoothly. The County Executive position is the highest-ranking seat at the county level, elected every four years, most recently in 2023. Current County Executive Ed Romaine (R-Center Moriches) is the first Republican elected to the seat since Bob Gaffney in 1999. The County Executive is responsible for overseeing operations of the county, appointing positions for various departments, creating economic stimulus, leading the charge on development and new initiatives, and maintaining the county’s home-rule stance on policy and procedure.
Suffolk County also elects a Clerk – currently, Vincent Puleo (R-Nesconset) – a Comptroller – John Kennedy (R-Nesconset) – a District Attorney – Ray Tierney (R) – and a Sheriff – Errol Toulon (D). The Clerk is essentially the cover of the book on face of the level of government it serves. Marriage licenses, certain permits, and keeping track and time of all government meetings are just a few of the Clerk’s responsibilities. The Comptroller is tasked with overseeing the County’s fiscal measures, budget, and tracking for discrepancies, to name a few. Both positions serve four-year terms and were last elected in 2022.
The District Attorney serves as the County’s lead prosecutor, directs the assistant attorneys in investigating cases, and maintains the justice system to accurately analyze evidence and protect the rights of the accused. D.A. Tierney was elected in 2021, flipping the seat from Democratic control. The Sheriff runs the county jail and supplies security and services to the courts. Sheriff Toulon was re-elected in 2021.
Suffolk is also represented by the County Legislature, with all eighteen seats electable every two years. District lines are redrawn every ten years pursuant to changes recorded by the Census. Currently, there are eleven Republicans, six Democrats, and one Conservative. Since the Conservative Legislator caucuses with the Republicans, the GOP has a supermajority in the Legislature. The majority party enjoys control of all committees and the opportunity to elect a Presiding Officer and Deputy Presiding Officer. P.O Kevin McCaffrey (R-Lindenhurst) and D.P.O. Steve Flotteron (R-Brightwaters) were unanimously elected by the entire Legislature to remain in those roles at the beginning of 2024.
In 2021, Republicans took control of the Legislature for the first time since 2005. Our tri-Town coverage area has the lion’s share of the County Legislature’s seats.
In Smithtown, the Twelfth and Thirteenth Districts are represented by Leslie Kennedy (R-Nesconset) and Rob Trotta (R-Fort Salonga), respectively.
In Brookhaven, the Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Districts are entirely within the Town. They are represented by Jim Mazzarella (R-Moriches), Nick Caracappa (C-Selden) – who serves as Majority Leader – Steve Englebright (D-Setauket), Chad Lennon (R-Rocky Point), and Dominick Thorne (R-Patchogue). Parts of the First, Eighth, and Twelfth Districts are also included in Brookhaven. The First is represented by Catherine Stark (R-Riverhead) and the Eighth is represented by Anthony Piccirillo (R-Holtsville).
Islip includes the Ninth, Tenth, and Eleventh Districts, represented by Sam Gonzalez (D-Brentwood), Trish Bergin (R-East Islip), and Steve Flotteron, respectively. Parts of the Eighth District are included in Islip Town as well.
The Legislature has several committees, all of which have a Chair, Vice Chair, and members who have opportunities to serve on their committees of choice based on their professional expertise. The Committees are: Budget & Finance; Economic Development, Planning & Housing; Education and Diversity; Environment, Parks, and Agriculture; Fire, Rescue, EMS and Emergency Preparedness; Government Operations, Personnel, and Information Technology; Health; Labor and Consumer Affairs; Public Safety; Public Works; Transportation and Energy; Seniors and Human Services; Veterans; and Ways and Means.
The Legislature holds their committees meetings open to the public and for viewing online. Additionally, the Legislature holds General Meetings, in which all eighteen Legislators convene for votes, debates, and public hearings on certain legislation. The horseshoe-shaped desk at which all Legislators sit gives the Legislature overall the name “The Horseshoe.” The Legislature rotates their meetings between the campus in Hauppauge and the campus in Riverhead. Riverhead is the official county seat of Suffolk.
The Legislature’s importance can be understated in light of Albany and Washington, D.C. Some important pieces of Legislation have come out of the Horsehose in recent years. In 2022, Legislator Caracappa sponsored a bill that requires tow truck drivers to remove debris from roadways after an accident. The State version of the bill has been sponsored by Senator Mario Mattera (R-St. James). Just last year, Legislator Thorne represented a bill that would require all police officers to carry EpiPens to save patients from an allergic reaction.
All meetings of the Legislature are available online for live viewing and meetings are open to the public.
Township Level of Government
The Town level of government functions similarly to that of a state government, but on a much smaller scale. The Supervisor is elected as the executive position of the Town, in addition to the Clerk and Tax Receiver. For our readers, Smithtown and Brookhaven have Highway Superintendents elected every four years. Islip has a Town Department of Public Works (DPW).
All three of our supervisors are elected on four-year terms. Smithtown’s Ed Wehrheim (R-Kings Park) was elected in 2017 and re-elected in 2021. Islip’s Angie Carpenter (R-West Islip) was re-elected to her third and final term in 2023. Brookhaven’s Dan Panico (R-Center Moriches) was just elected to his first term in 2023.
Town’s also have a Town Board – or Town Council, depending on nomenclature – which functions as representatives of the people who oversee development, planning, local economy, downtown revitalization, and budgetary measures, to name a few. They can propose to amend Town Codes and can interact with, form, or dissolve other boards of the Town, such as Zoning, Planning, etc.
Brookhaven and Islip are represented by a councilmanic district system, in which districts are drawn pursuant to Census changes to represent population shifts and communities of interest. Brookhaven has five Republicans and one Democrat on the Town Board, while Islip has three Republicans and one Democrat.
Smithtown is represented by an at-large Council system, in which all candidates, regardless of party, appear on the same Council ballot. Two positions are elected every two years, rotating, and the top two vote-receivers in the election are elected to the Board. All four of Smithtown’s Board seats are held by Republicans.
Some Town’s vary on certain measures, departments, and codes. It’s important to contact your local councilman or councilwoman. For marriage licenses, building permits, and other clerical measures, check in with your Town Clerk.
The Town level of government is perhaps one of the most intimate forms of government that all people of Suffolk County have. Suffolk has ten townships, from west to east: Huntington, Babylon, Smithtown, Islip, Brookhaven, Riverhead, Southampton, Southold, Shelter Island, and East Hampton.
The Villages and the Hamlets
One aspect of life on Long Island that confuses non-locals is the direction of government to the hyper-local level: villages and hamlets.
A village actually has nothing to do with population, as some might relate it to size or demeanor. A village is an incorporated community that has a level of self-governance and with it, extra responsibilities. A village has set boundaries and is a recognized government entity. Each village has a Village Hall, elects a Mayor and a set of Trustees, and can pass local ordinances, levy or relieve certain taxes, can specifically court stakeholders for developments and economic projects, and can receive certain grants from all higher levels of government. For instance, the Villages of Bellport and Mineola (Nassau) received grants for downtown revitalization this winter from the State level.
Villages, however, must rely on themselves for almost all services, such as garbage, emergency response, and road maintenance where applicable. This often comes with a tax increase on residents.
However, villages can levy their incorporated status for benefits. For example, Jake’s 58 Casino has a contract with the Village of Islandia. The casino pays a flat rate to the Village for its residence there, regardless of profitability. Because the casino brings in so much money, the Mayor intends to cut Village property taxes for its residents because the casino subsidizes them.
Villages also come with their dysfunction. In 2010, Mastic Beach decided to incorporate. Chaotic board meetings, no Village direction, and a general uninterest in proceedings led to the dissolution of the Village of Mastic Beach in 2017.
A hamlet, on the other hand, is an unincorporated community, often referred to simply as a Census-designated-place (CDP). These do not have set boundaries, although many agree on where the “lines” are, do not elect mayors and trustees, cannot pass local ordinances, and rely on the Town or County for all services. They are not recognized government entities but still receive regular attention from County and Town governments.
Suffolk County is home to thirty-three villages, many of which lie within our tri-Town coverage area.
Smithtown has three villages: Head of the Harbor, Nissequogue, and Village of the Branch.
Islip has four villages: Brightwaters, Islandia, Ocean Beach, and Saltaire – the latter two located on Fire Island.
Brookhaven has eight villages: Belle Terre, Bellport, Lake Grove, Old Field, Patchogue, Port Jefferson, Poquott, and Shoreham.
Other villages include Amityville and Lindenhurst in the Town of Babylon, Asharoken and Lloyd Harbor in the Town of Huntington, Quogue and Westhampton Dunes in the Town of Southampton, and Sag Harbor, which is split between Southampton and East Hampton Towns.
Interestingly, the Town of Riverhead has no incorporated villages. The Town of Shelter Island has one, Dering Harbor, which the least-populous village in the State of New York, with just 50 residents.
