Letters

Last week, Southampton Village Mayor Bill Manger proposed his politically motivated 2026 village budget, increasing spending by $1.2 million [“Southampton Village Budget Is Nearly Half a Million Dollars Under Tax Cap,” 27east.com, March 27]. That marks the second-largest spending increase in village history, second only to last year’s $2.1 million hike. That’s $3.3 million in new spending over just two years, ballooning our village budget to a staggering $37 million.

But what makes this even more alarming is how Manger is trying to justify it. He claims there is $966,849 in “revenues” to help offset the increase.

Among these so-called “revenues” is $424,331 taken from our reserve funds, money that was responsibly set aside by his predecessors to safeguard our future and prepare for long-term needs. But there it is, hiding in plain sight, listed as “revenue” on line A1775 of the budget.

Let’s be clear: This is not revenue. It’s savings. Taking from the reserves to mask overspending isn’t smart budgeting — it’s fiscal misdirection.

Also concerning is that last year Manger borrowed $5.9 million for what he called an “energy efficiency” project. He claimed the project would “pay for itself.” Yet there are no energy savings reflected in this year’s budget. In fact, projected utility costs went up from 2024 (8.8 percent increase in EMS and 12.1 percent with police).

So, what’s going on? Incompetence? Bad contract negotiation? Or just bad leadership? Is the village entitled to damages from Johnson Controls for breach of contract? We’ve now sunk millions into a project that has delivered no return, and taxpayers deserve an explanation.

What’s more glaring is how this bloated budget compares to neighboring villages that operate with far more discipline and efficiency.

The Village of Sag Harbor runs on a budget of $16.1 million. Westhampton Beach manages with $14.3 million. East Hampton Village comes in at $29.3 million in fiscal year 2025. Competent management would be reducing the budget to mirror our neighbors.

At the March 13 Village Board meeting, the board passed a resolution for a new fee schedule for Coopers Beach chair and umbrella rentals. Upon urging, Mayor Manger agreed that the resolution did not provide for any exceptions — all users would be charged the fees. So, if a village trustee has used Coopers Beach chairs and umbrellas without paying for them, that trustee should make restitution to the village.

Deceit in communications, lack of transparency and weak financial management are the hallmarks of the present Southampton Village administration. In June, voters can demand change.

David Rung

Southampton Village