Top 10 Government Stories of 2011

Village Approves 5.92 Percent Tax Increase: The Northport Board of Trustees approved a of last year, attributing the hike to drastic increases in employee benefit mandates from the state. At the time, Governor Cuomo was considering the two percent tax cap, and Mayor George Doll noted that it is ironic that Cuomo set 2 percent as a benchmark limit when 2.5 percent of the budget is going toward state-mandated items.

T-Mobile Brittania Cell Tower Application Adjourned: T-Mobile requested an adjournment of its application to Yachting Center after it was acquired by AT&T in June, ending a battle with many residents who opposed the idea.

Northport Approves Loan for Sewer Plant Upgrades: The Northport Village Board of Trustees approved an application for a in order to get in compliance with state-mandated nitrogen emission levels.

Town Joins Northport Schools in LIPA Lawsuit: The Town of Huntington filed in May, joining the Northport-East Northport School District in charging that the utility companies violated a 1997 agreement when they started litigation last October challenging the assessment on the Northport power plant.

Power Returning to Northport After Hurricane Irene: Nearly 4,000 people were without power in Northport after hit in late August.

EPA to Village: Clean Up Your Act: The Environmental Protection Agency accused Northport Village of having an to regulate the discharge of pollutants into Northport Harbor in an August report and demanded a revised plan from the village.

Zoning Board Questions 7-Eleven Traffic Study: The Huntington Zoning Board of Appeals presented by 7-Eleven at a public hearing in November, saying that projected traffic patterns for the proposed Northport location are not based on observation of existing convenience stores in the area.

7-Eleven Fighting for Waterside, Town Fighting Back: The Huntington Zoning Board held a public hearing in October on . The request came on the heels of an Oct. 7 lawsuit filed by 7-Eleven against the town which claims that new regulations adopted by the town in June unfairly discriminate against convenience stores and will "prevent or hamper 7-Eleven from developing new stores within the town."

Proposed Budget Increases Taxes by 4.22 Percent: The Northport Village Board of Trustees , a law enacted by Governor Andrew Cuomo in June that restricts the growth in the tax levy to no more than two percent a year. The budget hearing will be held Jan. 3.

Residents Await Public Hearing on Whale's Tale: The ongoing battle between Milland Drive residents and the owners of The Whale’s Tale, a tenant of the Britannia Yachting Center on 25A, continued on Dec. 20 when the . The hearing will continue on Jan. 3.