Riverhead Town’s proposed $77.9 million budget for 2026 includes a 7.7% tax levy hike that officials say strengthens public safety while absorbing rising state-mandated employee costs.

Under the proposal, the tax rate would increase by 6.74% in 2026, resulting in annual increases of $4.50 per $1,000 of assessed property value, officials said.

That translates to 75 cents per day, about $274 a year, for a property valued at $735,000, according to Jeanette DiPaola, the town’s financial administrator. It requires the town to consider piercing the state’s 2% tax cap for the fourth consecutive year.

Supervisor Tim Hubbard unveiled the fiscal plan at a meeting Monday, describing the increases as unavoidable.

The budget boosts spending in the three townwide funds — the general fund, highway an

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