Southampton Town Board Presented With Jay Schneiderman's Final Budget as Supervisor

Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman is going out with a bang — or, rather, a budget, his eighth and final one as supervisor before he is termed-out of office this year.

Schneiderman’s $122,109,537 tentative spending plan for 2024 was released on October 2 and will be converted to a preliminary budget when the Town Board convenes on October 5 to dig into the details.

The operating budget as currently proposed marks spending that is nearly $6 million higher than the 2023 adopted budget of $116,167,626.

According to budget documents, the 5.11 percent spending increase from 2023 is mostly reflected in general fund allocations and in proposed police spending of $33,126,415, a $1.6 million increase over last year’s police budget.

The operating budget aims to collect $77,986,590 of the total $122,109,537 spending plan in property taxes, with the remainder largely offset by $39,483,885 in expected revenues.

The budget also sets a new tax rate at $1.3905 per $1,000 of assessed valuation, a 1.04 percent increase over the 2023 tax rate, which Schneiderman notes is nevertheless “well below the rate of inflation.” That rate is also below New York State’s cap on tax levy increases.

That proposed property tax increase would translate to a tax bill increase of $14.30 for a home valued at $1 million.

Schneiderman said in his annual budget message that the additional police spending will pay for four new police officers and provide funding for two promotions in the Southampton Town Police Department to the rank of sergeant. The proposal also calls for an additional hire of a bay constable “to enhance safety operations throughout the town’s waterways.”

As Schneiderman notes, “A budget message is a broad overview highlighting a few core elements of a very detailed and complex document,” which is now available for public scrutiny on the town’s website.

“This is a balanced budget that stays within the tax cap while meeting the needs of our residents,” Schneiderman said — thanks in no small part to Moody’s favorable view of Southampton Town’s fiscal health as reflected in the rating agency’s recent Aaa bond rating.

“The budget utilizes conservative revenue projections and realistic expense estimates while maintaining healthy reserves in all funds,” said Schneiderman. “The budget continues sound fiscal practices, which have helped the town earn the highest municipal bond rating of Aaa.”

Public hearings on the budget will be held on October 24 at 6 p.m. and November 14 at 1 p.m. at Town Hall.

By town law, a final budget has to be passed by November 20. By then, Schneiderman will be a lame duck town supervisor, as a new one will be sworn in early in 2024.