Letters

Let’s recap 10 months of the Bill Manger Southampton Village administration.

A failure of Manger’s tenure was the poorly implemented zoning code change that restricts gross floor area, disproportionately affecting those on smaller lots. The specific change was voted in at the April 23 board meeting. No public comment was allowed.

This is in stark contrast to the inclusive approach under the Michael Irving administration with Kimberly Allan. They engaged the community eight months in advance through more than five official hearings and numerous community meetings. The Manger code change was determined in secret, in violation of the Open Meetings Law.

The level of turnover under Manger has been unprecedented. His village attorney quit after three days, his assistant after two months. His treasurer resigned unexpectedly; two members of the Planning Board resigned. There have been replacements for both the zoning and planning board attorneys, the deputy clerk, and deputy treasurer.

Financially, Manger has led the village through the largest spending increase in its history, increasing expenditures by over $2 million and taxes by more than $1 million. Compounding this fiscal irresponsibility, nearly a half million dollars is being taken from village reserves, reducing funds needed for the sewer project. He also borrowed $6 million at 20-year-high interest rates, without putting this on the ballot.

The increased taxes will be disproportionately paid by the residents of lower-valued properties, while Manger and his wealthy benefactors will be subsidized by paying disproportionately lower taxes.

Manger completely ignored the concerned citizens and residents regarding the closure of Pond Lane while squandering a golden opportunity to create a world-class park and improve water quality. His administration’s actions reflect a pattern of disregarding community input and failing to seize transformative opportunities for the public benefit.

The administration has saddled village taxpayers with high-salary patronage appointments, such as the $225,000 village administrator role. This while salary increases of 30 to 40 percent were given to Manger, Gina Arresta and his trustees. Conversely, the dedicated village employees received 2.5 percent raises.

The administration has been repeatedly cited for violations of open meetings and freedom of information laws, including instances where public documents were destroyed, according to a December issue of The Southampton Press.

Manger promised us leadership and civility. Instead, we received a regime characterized by vindictiveness, high turnover, wasteful spending and secret meetings. The residents of Southampton Village deserve better — transparency, accountability and an improved quality of life.

David Rung

Southampton Village