Southampton Village Mayor Bill Manger wants to give his wealthy donors a massive tax break — at your expense. His latest scheme? A proposed change to Chapter 99 of the village code, which would provide a tax exemption for “historic properties.” That may sound harmless, but let’s break down what it actually does.
If passed, this law would allow wealthy homeowners, primarily those in the estate section, on Lake Agawam and on streets like Meadow Lane, to avoid paying their fair share of property taxes when they renovate their homes. Normally, when someone invests in their home, the village increases their taxable assessed value by 1 percent of the construction cost. That money helps fund services like police, parks and road maintenance. But under Manger’s plan, these estate owners would be exempt from this increase.
Let’s put this in perspective: If a homeowner in the estate section does $10 million worth of “historic” renovations, that should add $100,000 to their taxable assessed value. That money goes into the tax base, meaning they contribute fairly based on what they’ve added.
Meanwhile, a homeowner of a more modest $1.5 million house might have a total assessed value of $10,000. If this law passes, the estate owner gets a free pass on 10 times the taxes paid by the more modest homeowner, while the modest homeowner still pays their full share and now more.
And here’s where it gets worse: The village tax levy is a fixed amount that must be distributed among all taxpayers. That means when Manger’s wealthy friends get a break, everyone else pays more.
This year alone, Manger already increased the tax levy by $1.1 million and jacked up spending by $2.1 million. Now, he wants to make sure those tax hikes land squarely on the shoulders of middle-class and year-round homeowners while shielding his donors.
A mandatory public hearing, as required by New York State Law, is set for Thursday, February 13, at 6 p.m. I urge residents to attend and voice their objections to this unfair and unnecessary tax gift to the wealthy.
Demand fairness. File a grievance.
David Rung
Southampton Village
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