By Daniela Silva
Patchogue-Medford School District residents are expected to pay more in school property taxes than originally projected following a settlement between the Long Island Power Authority and the Town of Brookhaven, district officials said on Sept. 30 during a Board of Education meeting at Saxton Middle School.
For a home with the town’s average assessed value of $2,800, the change will add $113.54 to the annual school tax bill beyond what was originally projected. Mazzie clarified that the $2,800 figure represents the assessed value used to calculate taxes, not the home’s market value.
The Patchogue-Medford assistant superintendent for business and operations, Frank Mazzie, said the district originally estimated that the 2026–27 budget would result in a property tax rate increase between 3.29% and 4.34%. Following the settlement, the increase is now projected at 4.60%.
“We have no recourse here,” Mazzie said. “The most important thing we could do is share this information with the community.”
LIPA properties that had previously been included on the tax roll will instead generate payments in lieu of taxes, known as PILOT payments. Mazzie explained that the new agreement affects how school taxes are calculated, resulting in higher property tax bills for local homeowners. Board of Education Trustee Bernadette Smith raised concerns about the settlement’s timing and its financial impact on residents, particularly because the changes came after residents voted on the school budget in May.
“Do we get to have a conversation with these people and say, ‘Excuse me, but we have a budget to run and you can’t throw stuff at the districts like this because this is bananas,’’’ Smith said.
Patchogue-Medford Superintendent Patrick Harrigan explained that LIPA had been paying less in school property taxes than the amount it was billed, with Suffolk County covering the unpaid portion. Under the new agreement, the county will stop making those payments, leaving local homeowners responsible for more of the cost.
“It’s kind of like a double hit,” Harrigan said, referring to the end of the county’s payments and the shift to PILOT payments. “Especially to do so after our budgets were all set.”
Mazzie said the district had hoped to delay the changes until the following year, allowing officials more time to explain the financial impact during the budget process. He said he believed residents might misunderstand why the tax increase exceeded the original projection.
“For someone who’s not very well versed on this, they would just see a number and say ‘Hey, that’s not what you said,’’’ Mazzie said.
District officials said the settlement’s financial impact extends beyond Patchogue-Medford. Although Brookhaven and Huntington have reached agreements with LIPA, other towns, including Babylon and Islip, have not. These changes could also affect libraries and other public institutions.
Harrigan said the settlement agreement will remain in effect for one year, leaving district officials uncertain about how LIPA’s payments will affect school property taxes when the district prepares its next budget.
Mazzie said the school website will be updated with the district’s budget materials, including estimates that allow residents to determine how the change could affect their properties.
