Letters

I love Southampton Village. I have been a proud member of the Southampton community for over six decades. I’m a businessman by career, a lawyer by training, and I know how to spot someone of good character.

Trustee Bill Manger is one of those people.

I read the local news every week, and it’s been disappointing to see that some have been disparaging Bill to further their own agendas, including the current mayor at his recent Town Hall event. This is disheartening, to say the least, and I would like to take a moment to set the record straight.

I first met Bill Manger over 45 years ago, when we were growing up together. I’ve known him and his family for decades. He has always been an individual of upstanding moral and ethical character. He is unafraid to speak out for what is right, even when that decision is difficult.

He has worked his tail off around the clock for the Village of Southampton. He is kind, thoughtful, experienced and effective. We are fortunate that this individual continues to devote his time and energies to the village.

Local politics should be about just that: helping each other out, making sure that the village is being well managed, listening to all sides of an issue, and working toward a better quality of life for all residents of the village.

From my vantage point, I see a Village Hall mired in petty drama, lawsuits and ill will. Southampton is a gem of the East End, and we need leaders who can work together and deliver good outcomes.

I come from a time when people in Southampton would respect each other, no matter what. It comes from a place of putting people over politics, the way it should be. Village Hall is not the U.S. Congress. There is no place for grandstanding or political overtures here. Running the village effectively should be the No. 1 concern.

Bill Manger is the right person for this job. Anyone who has been fortunate enough to know Bill sees him as reliable, accountable and trustworthy. The Bill Manger I know today is the same Bill Manger I’ve known for decades.

Our village is at a crossroads, and the choice could not be clearer. I am honored to give my friend Bill my fullest endorsement, and hope that you do as well.

John Campbell

Southampton