Shoreham residents to join Rocky Point Fire District

The Village of Shoreham will formally become part of the Rocky Point Fire District next year, giving residents a say in how the district operates, officials said.

Village residents will be able to vote in district elections and serve on its board of commissioners — things they couldn't do for decades, when Rocky Point provided fire and emergency services under an annual contract with the village.

The village of about 530 residents will officially join the district on Jan. 1. Shoreham residents will pay taxes directly to the district, rather than indirectly through the village, which pays Rocky Point $188,448 annually for emergency services. 

Shoreham and Rocky Point officials said the move won't change very much — except when Shoreham residents look at their property tax bills, where they'll see a new line for the fire district.

“It doesn’t really change anything," Anthony Gallino, chairman of the Rocky Point board of fire commissioners, said. "We protected them in the past. It just makes it easier for the village to pay for our district.”

The Brookhaven Town Board voted 7-0 on Feb. 27 to extend the fire district's boundaries to include the 276-acre village. Shoreham has 207 lots, almost all of them occupied by houses.

The change will cut Shoreham's village budget by roughly 20% next year, Mayor Brian Vail said. That will reduce the village tax portion of residents' property tax bills, while they pay the new tax to the fire district, he said, adding that the cost to homeowners should be approximately the same.

“What happens is, it’s a wash,” Vail said. “We checked. I looked to see what residents were paying … and it seemed to be very similar, comparing similar size houses.”

In a letter submitted to town officials, Shoreham and Rocky Point officials said reducing the village's annual budget would help Shoreham comply with the state cap on property tax hikes.

Officials said the change also would help clear up uncertainty over whether village residents were allowed to volunteer with the fire department.

"The most dramatic change will be that the fire district will benefit from additional volunteers from the village boundaries and the fire district will also benefit by greater eligibility for elected commissioners and voting members of the fire district," Shoreham and Rocky Point officials wrote in the letter to Brookhaven officials.

Vail said village officials could find no reason not to join the district.

“We just looked at our agreement with Rocky Point fire district, and we have a very good relationship with the district, and it just made sense to become part of the district, because why not?” Vail said. “I don’t think it’s going to change any dollar amount up or down, but now we become an official part of the fire district.”

By Carl MacGowan

carl.macgowan@newsday.comCarlMacGowan

Carl MacGowan is a Long Island native who covers Brookhaven Town after having previously covered Smithtown, Suffolk County courts and numerous spot news and feature stories over his 20-plus year career at Newsday.