Krupski to unveil tentative 2027 budget at special meeting

Southold Town Supervisor Al Krupski will unveil his tentative 2027 budget Friday — kicking off a month of public work sessions and hearings before the Town Board adopts a final spending plan.

Mr. Krupski said building the budget means weighing the immediate needs of departments against costs that will carry into future years.

He did not tip his hand as to what will be presented at Town Hall during the special meeting, which begins at 9 a.m. Residents may attend in person or on Zoom, but no public comment period is scheduled.

“They’re all difficult – there’s a lot of moving parts in it,” Mr. Krupski told The Suffolk Times Thursday. “I tend to view budgeting from a multiyear [perspective], not just this year. I tend to look at the implications for next year and then the following year.” 

The 2027 proposal will be Mr. Krupski’s third tentative budget since he took office in January 2024. The town’s $64.14 million 2026 budget stayed within the state tax cap with a 2.94% tax levy increase. That followed Southold’s $62.3 million 2025 budget, which raised the levy 7.48% and pierced the cap.

“It’s great to work with the departments,” Mr. Krupski said. “I think the realization is that the cost of operations has gone up so much. Tax cap or not, it’s made budgeting very difficult because of that.”

He also said the town faces rising operating costs tied to state mandates it cannot avoid.

“Those mandates should not be included in the tax cap, because we don’t have a choice but to put those things in our budget,” Mr. Krupski said. “That’s an ongoing discussion.”

The board will hold budget work sessions Oct. 7, 8, 9, 13 and 14, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Town Hall. Residents may attend in person or on Zoom, though public comment will not be taken at those sessions.

Public hearings are set for Nov. 4 from 4 to 5 p.m. and 6 to 7 p.m. at Town Hall. Officials said the board could adopt the preliminary budget that night or at a later meeting.

“I appreciate Supervisor Krupski’s preliminary budget discussions with all department heads,” Councilman Brian Mealy said Thursday. “That provides an important starting point for understanding town resources and department needs. I look forward to the review process and to keeping taxes within allowable increases while maintaining town services at a high level.”