L.I. How Did We Get Here? Local Government
Local Government
A Timeline of Local Government on Long Island
Long Island towns have deep roots, existing before American independence and even before the creation of the Colony of New York, and they continue to provide everyday services such as maintaining roads, sanitation pick up, youth and senior services, community parks, etc. However, the different layers of local government can be a source of confusion. On Long Island, there is a deeply held philosophy that local governments can best provide most municipal functions. To best understand how Long Island functions and how to address issues of concern, it is important to first understand Long Island’s system of interdependent local governments.
In order to bring communities together to address today’s concerns with local governance, it can be instructive to first consider our shared history and ask the question: Long Island, how did we get here?
This 13-minute video provides a short history of Long Island local government, giving insight into how Long Island and New York State came to have an unusual multi-layered system. It also discusses the pros and cons of funding our local governments and districts through property taxes.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT ON LONG ISLAND — TIMELINE OF EVENTS
1636 — Most of eastern Long Island sold by William Alexander to New Haven and Connecticut colonies
At the time, Long Island was also claimed by the Dutch colony of New Netherlands.
1639 — Lion Gardener settles on Gardiner’s Island
Lion Gardiner established the first English colonial settlement in New York State. The island was granted to Gardiner by King Charles the First and purchased from Montaukett chief Wyandanch. Gardiner's Island has been held as private property by the descendants of Lion Gardiner since that time, and is the only real estate in the U.S. that is intact from its original royal grant from the British Crown.
1640 — Southold and Southampton settled
Puritans from the New Haven and Connecticut colonies settled on the North Fork of Long Island, purchasing land from the Corchaug Indians. These colonies lacked a royal charter and were instead self-governed under “Fundamental Orders.” The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut are considered to be the first written constitution in the Western tradition. A small group arrived the same year from Lynn, Massachusetts, and settled on the South Fork on land obtained from the Shinnecock Nation.
1664 — The English take New Amsterdam from the Dutch
The Dutch colony of New Amsterdam was brought under English rule. The land that would become the states of New York, New Jersey, Vermont, and Delaware, as well as southeast Pennsylvania was granted by King Charles the Second to his brother James, the Duke of York, as the Province of New York. Long Island was included in the "Shire of York,” also called Yorkshire, along with Manhattan, Staten Island, the Bronx, and Westchester.
1665 — Towns Recognized by the Duke’s Law
The Hempstead Convention was called by the first Governor of New York, Richard Nicoll. Duke's Law promulgated by this convention recognized existing Long Island towns, and also created Ridings (precursors to counties), as judicial districts. The Ridings helped administer the territory of self-governing towns that were largely inhabited by Puritans and Dutch, neither of whom were likely to be amenable to rule by the Royalist English Duke.
1673 — The Dutch briefly recapture New York/New Netherlands.
The Eastern Long Island towns of Southold, Southampton and East Hampton refused to submit and maintained that they were still part of Connecticut.
1674 — The English take back New York.
The Eastern Towns continue their intention to remain as part of Connecticut. The Duke of York had a personal enmity for Connecticut, because that colony had sheltered three of the 59 commissioners who had signed the death warrant of his father, King Charles the First, during the English Civil war. As a result, the issue of who controlled those towns was forced. New York Governor Sir Edmond Andros threatened to revoke the residents’ rights to the land. The Eastern Towns capitulated by 1676.
1683 — Counties Established
Yorkshire and its Ridings were dissolved and replaced by counties, the counties on Long Island were Kings, Queens (which then included what is now Nassau County), and Suffolk.
1775 — North Hempstead residents declare independence from Hempstead
Pro-revolutionary residents from the northern part of the Town of Hempstead, disagreed with the Loyalist sentiments of the Town government, who refused to send a delegation to the Provincial Congress in New York City. They signed a declaration that they were no longer a part of the Town.
1777 — New York State’s first constitution
After the Declaration of Independence was signed, the former colony of New York adopted a state constitution. The new constitution recognized the 14 counties that were created in 1683.
1784 — New York State recognizes North Hempstead Township
After the end of the Revolutionary War, the New York State Legislature passed an act to divide the Town of Hempstead, which was signed by George Clinton, the first governor of New York.
1846 — Municipal Governments recognized
The New York State Constitution made incorporated villages and cities official.
1847 — Village incorporation process established
New York Village Law enacted. It allows residents to vote to incorporate as a village.
1872 — Town of Babylon formed
Due to rising conflict between residents of the southern half of Huntington Town and the town government, which was located in the northern part of town, a referendum on dividing the town in two was approved in January of 1872. State legislation creating the new town of Babylon was passed in March. Long Island’s current 13 towns have existed since that time.
1894 — Home Rule
The NY State Constitution of 1894 began the process of establishing ‘home rule’ for cities, by placing conditions on the State Legislature’s ability to adopt laws that apply only to specific cities. Through later amendments to the State Constitution, the concept of home rule strengthened and expanded to all towns and villages. Home rule puts ‘policing power,’ including the power of zoning in the hands of the most local units of government, towns, cities, and villages.
1899 — Nassau County established
In January of 1898, the western parts of Queens County, including the towns of Flushing, Jamaica, and Newtown, Long Island City, and the Village of Rockaway Beach (which was then part of the Town of Hempstead) voted in a referendum to consolidate with New York City and became the Borough of Queens. The rest of the Town of Hempstead, and North Hempstead and Oyster Bay voted against consolidation, and did not become part of NYC, but were still part of Queens County. A group of citizens from these towns pushed for secession from Queens and the New York State Legislature passed a law to create Nassau County, which went into effect on January 1st of 1899.
https://www.askarcnassau.com/3344/History-of-Nassau-County
1917 — City of Glen Cove incorporated.
Glen Cove was the first city incorporated on Long Island.
1923 — City of Long Beach incorporated.
Long Beach became the second of Long Island’s two currently existing cities.
1926 — Long Island Association incorporated
The LIA is the leading business group on Long Island
2011 — Tax Cap
New York State passes property tax increase cap. It is called the 2% cap, but actually limits local municipal and school budget tax increases to 2% or the rate of inflation, whichever is lower. The cap can be overridden by a school district vote.
2011 — Regional Economic Development Councils
NY State establishes Regional Economic Development Councils (REDC) to identify projets of regional importance for economic development, to receive competitive grants. Since 2011, the first year of the initiative, NYS Regional Economic Councils over $7.5 billion has been awarded to more than 9,200 projects.
2017 — Village of Mastic Beach dissolved
In November 2016, residents vote to dissolve the Village of Mastic Beach, which had been incorporated in 2010. A Final Dissolution Plan was adopted by the Board of Trustees in March of 2017. This leaves Long Island with 95 villages. Three other villages have been dissolved in Suffolk County history: two in the 1930s and one in 1990. No Nassau village has been dissolved.
2019 — Tax Cap
The property tax cap law was made permanent by the State Legislature.
Summing Up
The legacy of colonial and early New York State history has left Long Island with what can be characterized as a complexly layered and balkanized system of local government. However, the principle of home rule is intended to keep the decisions that most affect people’s day-to-day lives at a governmental level closest to them, where individual citizens have the greatest influence. From village boards to special taxing districts, this patchwork of jurisdictions can complicate regional planning and service delivery, but it also provides opportunities for meaningful civic engagement. In today’s policy environment, where efficiency, equity, and coordination are in demand, understanding the origins and functions of our local institutions is key to making democratic reforms that preserve community control while improving governance outcomes.