Letters

In July, the Southampton Village mayor proposed and passed a resolution appropriating $25,000 from village reserve funds for additional legal fees, because six weeks into the fiscal year the village is already over budget. Village residents are probably asking how this is possible, when the mayor ran on a platform of lowering legal fees. He told us adding a full-time village attorney, combined with bringing on Anthony Carter, the village’s $215,000-a-year administrator, who also collects a $120,000-a-year pension, would reduce these expenses.

Mayor Bill Manger cited “contractual negotiations” for his need for more attorneys’ fees. Which contract is Manger negotiating? Certainly, it shouldn’t be the PBA contract, because Carter is supposed to have the expertise to reduce these legal fees. Yet to be seen.

Word has it that the mayor is spending legal fees to “reopen” a previously signed “memorandum of agreement,” which covers the provisions of the Civil Service Employees Association contract. The mayor has chosen to nickel-and-dime these employees, and the administration’s appointee as Department of Public Works supervisor has chosen to vindictively eliminate the DPW employees’ office coffee, while Mayor Manger votes himself a 40 percent noncompetitive raise, votes himself nonconforming fringe benefits, votes himself a double-dipping “opt-out” payment, and spent tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars to renovate his office.

Village residents should be aware that there is an antagonistic relationship between Village Hall and the valuable men and women of the CSEA. The Press and the good residents of this village need to investigate this mistreatment of our village employees.

David Rung

Southampton Village