Letters

Despite dire warnings about our village finances that were blasted all over the press and into your mailboxes during last year’s election, it appears that the sky is not falling. In fact, long before Mayor Jesse Warren came onto the scene, fiscal responsibility prevailed.

The village auditors, Satty, Levine & Ciacco, presented at the April 8 Village Board meeting, stating that the village has a good surplus and a robust and healthy balance sheet. A healthy surplus helps us weather storms and sets the stage for future investments in our village. (A surplus can mean more revenue came in than projected, or expenses were less than projected, or both. It can also mean that a surplus was generated by more taxes.)

The cumulative surplus is over $10 million, and 30 percent of our annual operating budget. This didn’t happen overnight — it’s the result of previous fiscally responsible administrations.

This past year, revenues exceeded projections due to higher Building Department revenue, higher interest returns, mortgage recording tax and state aid that all exceeded $1 million, to name a few items — creating a surplus. This is no marvel.

However, the budget amount proposed by Mayor Warren in 2020, with a tax levy increase of 4.7 percent, also was meant to invest in the village — not to shift a surplus to this year’s budget.

So, why did this happen? Because Mayor Warren did not do what he should have done. The Pyrrus Concer House should have been funded, the 2000 Comprehensive Master Plan updated, the village sewer district and site selection should have been further along. Code enforcement positions not filled for over two years should have been hired, many more carbon-neutral devices ordered, and much more.

In the two years with Mayor Warren at the helm, contracts sat in his inbox for months. The H2M engineering contract to update the village sewer flow data and the Verizon contract to add cell antennas at Coopers Beach and Village Hall are just two examples. These projects are important to our livelihood, health, safety and quality of life.

It is certainly welcome that the village has a more updated financial accounting system, but the village was on sound financial footing when Mayor Warren arrived, and that hasn’t changed.

However, under Mayor Warren’s tenure, there has been a 14 percent increase in unfunded liabilities that now exceeds $115 million. (Why is this report not on our village website?) For those who recall the inflammatory ads from last summer highlighting the unfunded liabilities, there seems to be a lot of silence now.

And what is the status of Mayor Warren and Trustee Gina Arresta’s campaign promise to do away with health care for life for the trustees?

Kimberly Allan

Southampton Village

Ms. Allan is a former member of the Southampton Village Board — Ed.