Peconic County, New York

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The proposed Peconic County flag showed the two forks at the east end of Long Island separated by Peconic Bay. The star on the north represents Southold. The stars on the South Fork represent Southampton and East Hampton. Riverhead is at the fork mouth and Shelter Island is between the forks.

Peconic County is a proposed new county in New York that would be carved out of the easternmost portions of Suffolk County and would include the towns of East Hampton, Riverhead, Shelter Island, Southampton and Southold.

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

Peconic County has been discussed for more than 50 years -- ever since Suffolk County moved its offices from the official county seat in Riverhead 32 miles west to Hauppauge, New York in more densely populated western Suffolk County.^[1]

The big drive for the county was a difference in character between western Suffolk County which is predominately a New York City bedroom community while the east end is dominated by second home owners who want to preserve the area's more rural character.

71 percent of the east end voters in 1997 approved a nonbinding resolution to secede. However the New York General Assembly has never approved the enabling legislation. East End newspapers speculate the Assembly is afraid it would encourage a tidal wave of secessions in the state including Staten Island seceding from New York City.^[2]

The current move to secede has not been active since 1998.