As Southampton Town officials consider a $78.8 million proposed budget for next year that includes some of the largest cuts to staff and services seen in town government in recent years, the candidates for this year’s Town Board race remained mostly mum on the subject this week.
Only incumbent Councilman Christopher Nuzzi, a Republican, voiced concerns about proposals in the budget to cut staff and raise taxes beyond the 5-percent cap allowed by town law next year. Incumbent Councilwoman Sally Pope and first-time candidate Bridget Fleming, both Democrats, declined to voice opinions on spending proposals in the budget. Republican candidate James Malone of Hampton Bays did not return calls for comment.
Declining to comment on specifics in the budget, Ms. Pope and Ms. Fleming said it was too early in the budget process to criticize certain aspects of the proposed spending plan, which was released by Supervisor Linda Kabot on September 30. The Town Board is expected to adopt a final budget on November 20.
“There is a lot of work to do, and it is early to sit and be critical,” Ms. Pope said. “I don’t think we need to do it in the press at this point.”
Ms. Fleming, a lawyer from Sag Harbor, said she read the budget message and examined various department spending plans, but has yet to delve into the budget in detail. “I read the message, but I haven’t had time to go through the budget with a fine-toothed comb,” she said.
“Specific amendments to the budget I don’t think would be wise for me to offer, because I have not spoken to department heads or union representatives as far as what concessions could be made,” she continued.
However, both Ms. Pope and Ms. Fleming did criticize how the budget was arrived at. Ms. Pope argued that Ms. Kabot, a Republican seeking reelection this year, should have consulted with department heads before proposing cuts in 2010. “The supervisor did her budget and she never went back to the department heads about what she was proposing,” Ms. Pope said. “She basically shut her door and made her decision.”
Ms. Fleming lambasted officials for not using “zero-based budgeting” techniques to find unnecessary spending. “My understanding is that has not been undertaken,” Ms. Fleming said. “We need zero-based budgeting.”
Mr. Nuzzi voiced skepticism about efforts to privatize a waste transfer facility in North Sea in order to save the town money. “I don’t believe we should privatize waste management,” Mr. Nuzzi said. “I don’t see that being a viable idea.”
He added, “I do see the possibility of privatizing the animal shelter and maybe even our marinas.”
The councilman also criticized cuts to town staff that he said would reduce services to Southampton Town residents. “Cutting some of the lower-level positions that are essential to maintain the level of service related to the things we’re responsible for in local government—to the maintenance of our parks and beaches to the operation of our transfer station—is not the way to plug the budget gap,” Mr. Nuzzi said.
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