Two East Quogue residents are proposing a new tax to help maintain Main Street and a nearby park.

Brian Babcock and Jamie Maloney want to create a so-called park district.

Town of Southampton officials say the amount each resident would pay would be based on the assessed value of their properties. For example, a house valued at $600,000 would pay less than $10 a year toward the beautification effort.

Babcock says the money would go toward replacing dead bushes, cleaning up vandalism and replacing rundown park benches.

The town's deputy supervisor says the tax would help pay for what is not part of the work already completed by the town.