Letters

Southampton Village Mayor Bill Manger, his records officer and the village’s own Freedom of Information Law appeals officer owe me, another resident and The Southampton Press a public apology.

Last week, The Press exposed the village for issuing a false statement claiming that a public document “does not exist, as per Board of Architectural Review and Historic Preservation legal counsel Alice Cooley” [“Southampton Village Denies FOIL Requests for Draft Historic District Report,” 27east.com, December 3]. Yet, when questioned by the paper, Village Administrator Scott Russell insisted that the ARB attorney never said any such thing.

That is remarkable, because the village clerk put that claim in writing — not once but at least three separate times. At a minimum, the village created a false public record. At worst, it knowingly misled the press and the public.

Instead of accountability, residents were treated to Mr. Russell’s attempt to brush this off as a “misunderstanding.” A misunderstanding? This is not a coffee shop losing an order; it is a government responsible for a $37 million budget.

And despite being publicly exposed, the village has not corrected its false response. My FOIL appeal remains pending, but I have little confidence that honesty is forthcoming.

Consider this: As recently as 2020, the village had one employee performing the very duties that now have three. That single employee earned roughly $170,000. Today, we have a village administrator making over $180,000; a village clerk earning a comfortable six-figure salary, plus annual “comp time” payments that have reportedly exceeded $25,000 for “extra work” — payments never received by her predecessor — plus a pension and benefits; and a treasurer also earning well into six figures.

Taxpayers are now spending approximately 250 percent more for a records/FOIL operation that produces not better service but unprecedented incompetence, and, in this case, outright misinformation.

This administration can continue to hide behind excuses, but the facts are unavoidable. The village provided false information to residents, to me and to The Southampton Press.

The pattern is no longer subtle — it is systemic.

David Rung

Southampton Village