Letters

When I answered the call from my Democratic Party colleagues to run for receiver of taxes in the Town of Southampton, I agreed to do so based on the history of this position in town — the incumbent would serve 20 years in the same job if elected again — and my expertise in finance, budgeting and management.

Term limits for many of our town positions serve the public well. New eyes in every job allow for a fresh review of operations and policies, to the benefit of all citizenry. At a time where we are questioning the length of service in some of our federal jobs (Congress members, senators and, yes, Supreme Court justices), we should be grateful that, at a local level, we can ensure reasonable enough turnover so that there is constant reviewing and oversight of local policies and operations.

Unfortunately, that can’t be said of the tax receiver office in the Town of Southampton. The current incumbent already has been in that position for 16 years; if reelected, the town will have 20 years of the same eyes, the same judgment, the same evaluation, the same oversight of this small but important office for the town.

Nothing has come to light from that incumbency — but how would we know? There are no other reviews of the operations. Is it the most efficient? Is the office staffed properly? Does the incumbent and her team use the best technology to ensure accuracy and timeliness of processing tax receipts? And, most importantly, can the office be more integrated into the workings of the town in support of the operations of the Town Board?

Most voters don’t think of the receiver of taxes when they go to the polls. There are no debates beforehand; the candidates are not asked any questions. They remain almost hidden from the public, except for some signs with their names and perhaps pictures on various lawns in the town.

But every position in town is important to managing a town efficiently. We don’t really know what we don’t know, until someone finally looks under the covers to see what is going on.

Maybe, just maybe, it is time to remove those covers and expose the office of receiver of taxes to a real review and evaluation. It’s time for a new set of eyes that will let the light In.

David Glazer

Southampton