I am very glad The Southampton Press held Friday’s debate and gave the public an opportunity to learn more about the candidates in the upcoming village election.
I came away reminded again of the competence, commitment and energy of Mayor Bill Manger, Trustee Roy Stevenson and Trustee Robin Brown. The debate was well-attended, and I hope voters will watch it online before they go to the polls on June 20.
The list of the incumbents’ accomplishments is significant: spending control, AAA bond rating, new PBA contract, extensive paving and tree planting, fire engine and ambulance replacements, park improvements, and new roofs at the Southampton Arts Center and veterans hall. Perhaps even more impactful are their insights and approaches to very significant and persistent challenges facing our village: cleaning Lake Agawam and Old Town Pond, traffic, installing a sewer system, preserving the village character, enhancing the business district … all vital issues.
There are no easy fixes here. The work will be demanding and will require cooperation with other levels of government. These are complex problems, and to solve them we need the most effective, energetic and experienced leaders totally focused on achieving the best possible outcomes for the village.
We are lucky to have Bill Manger, Roy Stevenson and Robin Brown. Please vote for them on June 20.
Bill Bates
Southampton
Bates is a former member of the Southampton Village Board — Ed.
Calm and SteadyI am writing to you as Max Rohn’s wife and partner in parenting, work and life. Max is the most wonderful, loving and committed husband and dad. He is also the most rational person I have ever met and can...
Broken TrustI find it troubling that there is no public resolution authorizing the hiring of Suzanne Dugan, the Washington, D.C.-based attorney who recently issued an opinion that conflicted with the 2024 Ethics Board decision finding Trustee Robin Brown in violation of...
Choose One SiteI am aware that the conversation about the potential of a distributed wastewater treatment system as an alternative to a centralized treatment system has been raised in several venues recently, including at the mayoral debate on June 6. The alternative...
Keep the CCA BanAs a local, growing up my childhood summers were idyllic, spent freely at the ocean with my siblings. My earliest memories are of the beach, a place that shaped my life. I became an ocean lifeguard, a surf instructor and...
Not Underhanded DealIn following The Press’s continuing coverage of the Shinnecock, there seems to be a trend wherein the newspaper has become an apologist for the tribe. According to your recent stories, they are always, seemingly, fighting against the inhumanities perpetrated by...
Work To DoCharlie McArdle has done good work on traffic. If he has any time left, he should remove the Robin Brown signs now scattered across Southampton Town public right of ways. Best of luck to his team in the Working Families...
Believer in TeamworkAs business owners and entrepreneurs in Southampton Village, we are writing to express our support for Rob Coburn as village trustee. We know the challenges all business owners face, and the special challenges posed by a seasonal village. We also...
The Right ChoiceI am writing to offer my strong and enthusiastic endorsement of Rob Coburn in his candidacy for Southampton Village trustee. Rob and I served together on the Southampton History Museum’s Restoration Committee. Initially focused on the grounds, our work eventually...
