Peconic County, New York

{{short description|Hypothetical new county on Long Island, New York}}

File:Flag of Peconic County, New York.svg

Peconic County ({{IPAc-en|p|ə|ˈ|k|ɒ|n|ɪ|k}}) is a proposed new county on Long Island in the U.S. state of New York that would secede the five easternmost towns of Suffolk County: East Hampton, Riverhead, Shelter Island, Southampton and Southold, plus the Shinnecock Indian Reservation.

It derives its name from Peconic Bay which is the dividing body of water separating the North and South forks of Long Island.

History

Peconic County has been discussed for more than 50 years – ever since Suffolk County moved its offices from the official county seat in Riverhead {{convert|32|mi|km}} west to Hauppauge, New York, in more densely populated western Suffolk County.{{Cite news |last=Healy |first=Patrick |date=2004-02-11 |title=Growth Pains And Clout Heading East In Suffolk |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/11/nyregion/growth-pains-and-clout-heading-east-in-suffolk.html |access-date=2023-07-29 |issn=0362-4331}} Due to the regions small population, contributing just 2 of the Legislature’s 18 members, the region was often overlooked by county officials, and were deemed "municipal orphans."{{cite web |title=Remember Peconic County? |url=https://www.easthamptonstar.com/archive/remember-peconic-county#:~:text=For%20decades%2C%20Suffolk%E2%80%99s%20municipal%20orphans,Peconic%20County%2C%20might%20be%20advantageous |website=The East Hampton Star |access-date=12 May 2025}} Deciding that they would more efficiently run local courts, jails, and health services, municipal leaders began to seek the creation of a new county, tentatively called Peconic County in the 1960s.

In 1996 a nonbinding referendum was put on the ballot during the elections that year on forming a new county that was approved with 71% of the vote. State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver did not allow the movement to advance, and blocked other movements, fearing a wave of similar bids to split up counties state-wide, in line with Andrew Cuomo's policy of instead reducing the number of counties via mergers. At the same time Staten Island had been pressing for the reformation of Richmond County, with the two movements coordinating between each other. In 1997 Peconic County Now sued the state attempting to force through the secession.{{cite web |last1=Grossman |first1=Karl |title=Sue For Peconic County |url=https://www.easthamptonstar.com/archive/sue-peconic-county#:~:text=In%20the%20State%20Legislature%20in,Senate%20where%20it%20was%20approved |website=The East Hampton Star |access-date=12 May 2025}}

In 2015, New York State Assemblyman Fred Thiele championed Peconic separatism, and was dubbed the “Patron Saint of Peconic County” seeking to revive the movement after Silver was arrested during a corruption scandal.{{cite web |title=Peconic County’s recent glimmer of hope, dashed yet again? |url=https://suffolktimes.archive.timesreview.com/2015/02/peconic-countys-recent-glimmer-of-hope-dashed-yet-again/#:~:text=Any%20renewed%20hopes%20for%20a,a%20main%20reason%20for%20leaving |website=Suffolk Times |access-date=12 May 2025}}

Ideology

Peconic County separatism is almost entirely supported by members of the Republican party, especially as Democrats have a long standing policy of pursuing the merger of counties. Fred Thiele an assemblyman who supported the Peconic cause was a Republican, and said that as long as the speaker of the New York State House was a Democrat, the Peconic cause was impossible. Anthony Palumbo, also a Republican, supports the cause as a way to benefit the region from a financial standpoint.

Criticism

Joe Sawicki, a former county comptroller and assemblyman, denounced the movement as drawing support away for the cause of turning Long Island into a state.

Organizations

Peconic County Now: Led by Larry Cantwell, former supervisor of East Hampton

Area and population

At the 2020 census, the five towns and the Shinnecock Reservation had a land area of {{Cvt|900.581|km2}}, or about 38.12 percent of Suffolk County's land area. Its total population was 161,127 inhabitants, or about 10.56 percent of the county's population. Its average population density was 178.91/km{{sup|2}} (463.38/mi²).{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/2010census/popmap/ipmtext.php?fl=36 |title=US Census Bureau |website=www.census.gov |access-date=6 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131003203229/https://www.census.gov/2010census/popmap/ipmtext.php?fl=36 |archive-date=3 October 2013 |url-status=dead}} If the proposed secession were to occur, the surviving Suffolk County would have a land area of {{Cvt|1,462.001|km2}} and an adjusted 2020 census population of 1,356,575 inhabitants. It would be left with a population density of 933.51/km{{sup|2}} (2,417.78/mi²). As can be seen, the western part of Suffolk has more than five times the population density of its eastern neighbor.