Town Board to Take Up Report on Power Plant

The  Huntington Town Board will consider Wednesday whether to release a report prepared on the potential acquisition by eminent domain of the property where the Northport power plant is located.

Councilman Mark Cuthbertson called for the report to be released at a recent Town Board meeting but was challenged by Councilman Edmund Smyth on the grounds that the report was incomplete.

The potential release of the report is another element of the protracted legal battle over the plant between the Town of Huntington and the Long Island Power Authority, which is pursuing a sharp decrease in taxes on the property.

Taking over the property is one of the ideas floated to push back against LIPA,  which has sued to drastically reduce tax assessment of the  property.

The case will return to court in July.

The board will also urge the state Legislature and Gov. Andrew Cuomo to enact legislation shielding the Town of Huntington from any liability to LIPA or National Grid for a refund of property taxes assessed against the Northport Power Station. A bill protecting taxpayers against retroactive taxes in case LIPA prevails in its case has passed the state Senate but is pending in the state Assembly.

The Town Board will meet at 2 p.m. Wednesday.

Residents Demand Action to Head Off LIPA Tax Crunch

 

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