Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich

09/01/2026

I was glad to return to Ward Melville High School to celebrate the opening of their new Bloomberg Finance Lab.

What makes this program so valuable is that it doesn't just teach students how to follow markets or make trades. It gives them the tools to understand how markets actually work, how businesses are valued, how economic forces affect prices, and how to make decisions based on evidence rather than speculation.

One of the most important lessons here is that investing isn't gambling. Good investing requires patience, research, discipline, and critical thinking. It also requires understanding risk. We often hear "higher risk, higher reward," but that's an oversimplification. Higher risk really means a wider range of possible outcomes, including greater potential losses. Learning to evaluate and manage that risk is a skill that extends far beyond finance.

Financial literacy is ultimately about more than earning income. It's about understanding how to build ownership and equity over time. Owning productive assets can be an important way to build long-term financial security and wealth.

The success of this lab won't be measured by whether students can predict tomorrow's market. It will be measured by whether they leave better able to understand value, manage risk, evaluate evidence, and make thoughtful decisions. This kind of program helps the district fulfill its mission of helping each student become a “well-rounded individual who is an involved, responsible citizen.”

I applaud Ward Melville, the staff, sponsors, and students who made this possible.

09/01/2026

Join us on September 15th as Brookhaven Goes Purple in recognition of National Recovery Month! The event will be held at the Train Car Park in Port Jefferson Station (1 Rose Ave, Port Jefferson Station) and will include Narcan training for community members.

08/26/2026

08/20/2026

Help give a good book a new life and support The Long Island Museum--

The Long Island Museum is collecting new and gently used books now through September 13 for its upcoming Pages & Pictures Annual Book & Art Fair.

Have books to donate? Check the graphic for drop-off details, accepted items, and special collection days. Then come back on Saturday, September 19 from 1:00 to 4:00 PM for books, local art, live music, and free museum admission. Looks like fun!

They will not accept books with mildew or smoke odors; books with ripped torn or yellow pages; encyclopedias or magazines.

Drop off location is at the Long Island Museum, 1200 Route 25a, Stony Brook

08/05/2026

Quick update on Brookhaven’s data center moratorium:

Today I testified before the Suffolk County Planning Commission and asked them to support our moratorium, but also to look at this as a county-wide issue that is bigger than Brookhaven. They were engaged and curious, and asked numerous technical questions about the Town's position.

The concerns we are studying, especially implications for the electric grid and our sole-source aquifer, do not stop at town lines. If Brookhaven pauses to study data centers but development pressure shifts into neighboring towns, that does not really solve the problem for Long Island. We all rely on the same aquifer system and the same regional electric grid.

For that reason, I asked the County Planning Commission to consider how Suffolk County can help support a broader regional approach, including guidance, coordination, and study so that towns are not left to address this one application at a time.

I am grateful that the Commission voted unanimously in support of Brookhaven’s moratorium. That kind of unanimous support for a moratorium is unusual, and I think it reflects how seriously the Commission understood this issue. During the discussion, Commissioner John Finn noted that data centers present a unique concern for Long Island and that we need to “circle the wagons” to protect our communities.

I want to thank Supervisor Dan Panico for his leadership, and Suffolk County Planning Commission for its wisdom, its thoughtful questions, and its support for Brookhaven’s work. As they requested, we will return in six months with an update. Until then we are going to keep studying this issue carefully, working with the right experts, and pushing for rules that protect residents, ratepayers, our infrastructure, and the aquifer over the long term.

08/01/2026

The Town of Brookhaven Department of General Services, Youth Bureau Division, is hosting a free educational workshop, Addressing the Intersection of Digital Life & Substance Use Risk Among Youth, on Tuesday, August 11, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at Brookhaven Town Hall Auditorium, with a virtual option available via Zoom.

Made possible through the Suffolk County Opioid Settlement Grant, this program will explore how today's digital landscape can influence youth and provide valuable information and resources for parents, educators, and community members. Registration is free, and breakfast will be provided for those attending in person. Learn more and register at https://bit.ly/3Qw5p5a. Registration will closer August 10, 2026 @ 9AM.

07/30/2026

The Town of Brookhaven Youth Bureau is accepting applications for new Youth Board members.

Students are encouraged to apply, and we're also looking for adults involved with local businesses, social service agencies, youth organizations, and religious groups to help represent a broad cross-section of our community.

If you're interested in serving on the Youth Board, we encourage you to submit an application.

07/29/2026

Over the past several months, my team and I have been studying what the construction of large-scale data centers could mean for Brookhaven. I started speaking up about it early this year, including in a piece for the local paper, because I thought we needed to get ahead of this before applications started coming in under zoning rules that were written for a completely different kind of use.
People talk about "the cloud" like it's weightless, but it's not. Data centers are physical buildings that need enormous amounts of power, serious cooling systems, backup generators, and new electrical infrastructure. They affect water use, noise, air quality, and ultimately what ratepayers will have to pay for.

That's why I've been pushing the Town Board to be thoughtful and proactive about this. I'm grateful that under Supervisor Panico’s leadership they agreed to an 18-month moratorium so we can actually study what we're dealing with, update the Town Code to define data centers properly, figure out where they make sense, and set standards that will protect residents, our aquifer, and the people who are actually paying for electricity.

I want to thank Supervisor Dan Panico especially. He's been fully engaged on this from the start, and we've worked as true partners. From day one, he understood that this isn't about being against technology or business. It's about making sure our rules keep pace with what the technology actually needs.

Assemblywoman Rebecca Kassay NYS District 4 deserves credit too. I talked to her early on about a problem a Brookhaven-only moratorium wouldn't solve: it would just push the pressure into neighboring towns. But the aquifer and the electrical grid don't stop at town lines. These are regional issues because we are all on the same electrical grid and we all drink from the same aquifer. Kassay got it, carried our concern to Albany, and helped push the State to act on this.

Governor Hochul and her office have also been helpful. In the aftermath of the state’s own moratorium, they asked me to participate in a Long Island roundtable on data center impacts, and it is meaningful that the State recognizes what we've learned here.

That kind of partnership helps protect the whole region.
This is what good planning looks like and the playbook I will keep using: study the problem, bring people to the table before decisions are made, and then set clear rules. We shouldn’t wait until a major application lands on our desk before we start asking the hard questions.

Brookhaven stepped up early on the data center issue and I'm proud we're helping lead the conversation. Over the next 18 months I will continue to study this issue and will never stop working to protect our residents and our environment. I couldn’t do it without your support!

07/18/2026

Thank you to Setauket Harbor Task Force for everything you do to keep our waterways beautiful! Water testing, oyster breeding research and advocacy--- such important work!!

07/18/2026

⚠️ IMPORTANT EVENT UPDATE: VENUE CHANGE

Due to poor air quality and the forecast for inclement weather, tomorrow night's performance of William Shakespeare's All's Well That Ends Well has been moved indoors.

In partnership with the Port Jefferson Station / Terryville Civic Association, we look forward to welcoming you for an evening of Shakespeare at a new location to ensure the safety and comfort of our attendees, performers, and volunteers.

📍 NEW LOCATION:
Comsewogue High School Auditorium
565 North Bicycle Path
Port Jefferson Station

🗓 Saturday, July 18th
🕖 Performance begins at 7:00 PM
🚪 Doors open at 6:35 PM

Parking & Entrance:
Please park in the South Parking Lot and enter through the South Entrance, adjacent to the gym.

Feel free to bring your favorite snacks and refreshments as you enjoy an evening of Shakespeare filled with love, honor, comedy, and deception.

Please help us spread the word by sharing this post so everyone knows about the new indoor location. We look forward to seeing you tomorrow evening!