Letters

The June 24 Southampton Village Board of Trustees meeting was brief but telling [“Southampton Village Will Start Two-Week Pilot Program Closing Off Ox Pasture East of Halsey Neck,” 27east.com, June 25].

First, Mayor Bill Manger got caught hiding the payment to a Washington, D.C.-based ethics attorney hired to produce a favorable opinion related to Trustee Robin Brown’s ethics violation just weeks before the election. Manger refused to pass a resolution authorizing the engagement and cut off any attempt to bring transparency to the issue.

Robin Brown then doubled down on her claim that she was “exonerated,” but the issue at hand wasn’t the opinion. (Note that the Village Ethics Board reaffirmed its violation opinion.) It was how the public’s money was being spent behind closed doors. Even the village attorney had to step in and claim the lack of transparency was “allowed.” But following best practices is not the same as doing whatever you can get away with under the loosest interpretation of New York State law. A quote from The Southampton Press: “Troubling is the extent to which the board used taxpayer money to find an alternate opinion” [“Southampton Village Ballot,” Editorial, June 19].

Second, the board voted 4-1 to spend $300,000 — yes, $300,000 — on architectural designs and engineering work for a $2 million Village Hall renovation. And the architect? A billionaire’s personal architect who also happens to be a campaign donor to Bill Manger. While critical infrastructure projects like the village sewer system remain unfunded, Manger is draining capital reserves on vanity projects and luxury consultants.

Third, the board rammed through the creation of a new employee position, ignoring concerns from the CSEA union that it may be used to sidestep union protections. Manger couldn’t even explain the rationale and had to rely on Village Administrator Scott Russell, an appointed official, to do the talking. The mayor was silent, while the administrator sounded like the actual mayor.

To top it off, Manger announced he’s changing the work session format but will refuse to allow public comment. He claimed, “That’s not how work sessions work,” which is blatantly false. Many municipalities allow — and encourage — public input at work sessions. It’s called democracy.

Manger barely won reelection, surviving only because of a flood of absentee ballots from New York City. Two of his closest allies were defeated over the last two years. His supermajority is gone.

That’s not a mandate. That’s a warning.

David Rung

Southampton Village