Long Island Museum, of Stony Brook, seeks Three Village voters' approval for $500,000 tax

A Stony Brook museum is asking Three Village school district voters to approve a $500,000 annual tax, using an obscure provision of state law that allows museums to seek public funds.

The Long Island Museum, a repository for Early American artwork and artifacts such as horse-drawn carriages, says the tax would cost the average household about $34 a year.

A proposition to authorize the tax will appear on the ballot Tuesday when voters weigh in on school district elections for budget and trustees. The museum tax is not otherwise related to the district, officials said.

If approved, the tax will be collected annually in perpetuity, officials said. The tax cannot be altered or discontinued unless another proposition is held in the future, they said. 

A provision of state education law allows museums to seek tax revenue, just as many public libraries do.

The Three Village proposition is one of at least two this year on Long Island seeking approval of taxes for community groups. Southold school voters are being asked to approve a $183,155 tax for the Southold Historical Museum.

Last year, Rocky Point and Westhampton Beach school district residents approved propositions authorizing tax support for local historical societies. Sag Harbor residents did the same in 2024.

Long Island Museum co-executive director Sarah Abruzzi, in a phone interview, said the tax, if approved, would fund about one-sixth of the museum's $3 million annual budget.

The museum also receives funding from museum memberships, donations, fundraisers and government grants. But the museum faces "a really challenging fundraising environment" and the prospect of federal cuts for cultural grant programs, she said.

“It’s hard to plan around things that are not predictable,” Abruzzi said, adding the tax would help preserve "the overall fiscal health of the museum."

“At a time when museums are struggling, it's a great opportunity to appeal to local communities for support,” Abruzzi said. 

The museum will offer free annual passes to district residents if the tax passes, Abruzzi said. The family rate for annual passes is $95.

Three Village school officials "do not take positions or offer opinions on propositions that appear on the ballot," spokeswoman Denise Nash said in an email, adding the museum collected the "required number of valid signatures" to qualify for the ballot.

The museum submitted petitions signed by 319 residents; 148 signatures were required, museum spokeswoman Ellen Linnemann said in an email.

The proposition is facing criticism from some residents who question the need for the tax, said Peter St. Germaine, president of the Three Village Civic Association.

The museum is “asking for an awful lot of money, and what are they using it for?” he said, adding he is ambivalent and has not decided how he will vote. “A lot of people [say] it feels like they’re trying to force the membership on to people, and other people say it helps to keep a vibrant museum.”

The 86-year-old museum is housed in 14 buildings, including a retired one-room schoolhouse. The museum employs 50 people and sees about 25,000 visitors annually, Abruzzi said.

Recent events have included exhibitions on Long Island life in the 1970s, Long Island during the Revolutionary War and an Apple Computer collection. It holds an annual concert tribute to Bob Dylan.

The museum will host an annual second-grade field trip at no charge to the school district if the tax is approved, museum officials said in promotional fliers. Other community benefits, if the proposition passes, include discounted facility rentals, free open house events and student art and theatrical performances.

“There are folks everywhere who are struggling and may not see value in this," Abruzzi said. "We just want to be able to be here for generations to come as we have for generations past.”

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.