Task Force Recommends Southampton Village Board Extends Terms, Creates Term Limits - 27 East

Task Force Recommends Southampton Village Board Extends Terms, Creates Term Limits

icon 1 Photo
Southampton Village Hall.  BRENDAN J. O'REILLY

Southampton Village Hall. BRENDAN J. O'REILLY

authorCailin Riley on Mar 22, 2023

Southampton Village officials are considering extending the terms of elected officials from two years to four, and imposing term limits, and discussed the relative merits and drawbacks of a change at a Southampton Village Board work session on Tuesday night.

Walter Deane, who was part of a term limits task force created by the Southampton Village Planning Commission, presented the task force’s suggestions to the Village Board on Tuesday. The task force also included Planning Commission Chair Marc Chiffert and member Pamela Gilmartin, along with two members of the public, Robert Loman and Susan Steinhart.

Deane said the Planning Commission created the task force, which has been meeting since November 2022, to “study the terms of elected officials as part of the implementation of a new master plan update that was recently adopted by the trustees.”

He said that over the last several months, the task force has met with Village Administrator Charlene Kagel-Betts, Village Clerk Cathy Sweeney, several local groups and concerned citizens, and also reviewed the election and term limits practices of other villages throughout Long Island.

He said that in speaking with members of the public over the last few months, there seems to be “overwhelming support” for extending the terms and holding elections every other year instead of every year.

Deane explained that, because of staggered terms for trustees, the village holds an election every year, at a cost of $30,000 to the village annually. Because the elections, which are held on the third Friday in June, are close to the date of statewide primary elections, the village has to rent voting machines, which represents a big part of that cost.

The task force is recommending four-year staggered terms for trustees, which would lead to the village only needing to hold elections every other year, and limits of two consecutive terms and a total of three terms for life.

Deane added that the task force could not come to a consensus on whether the term for mayor should remain at two years or be extended to four, and recommended that the board make that determination after holding a public hearing.

The board is not required to make the term changes via referendum with a proposition on the ballot, and in fact is not even required by law to hold a public hearing on the matter. Village Attorney Andrew Preston said the board could make the change via resolution, although that resolution would be subject to a permissive referendum.

Mayor Jesse Warren — who is up for reelection in June, along with Trustees Roy Stevenson and Robin Brown — was wary of making the changes. He said after the presentation that he wanted the public to know that “this was not a request on my end,” and he pushed back against the assertion that hosting elections on a yearly basis has become a significant cost burden for taxpayers.

Kagel-Betts said that the village had to spend $9,000 last year to rent ballot machines from Dominion Voting, but Warren said he thought $9,000 was “a small price to pay” for letting citizens exercise their right to vote each year.

Deane said that because of overwhelming public support to change to a two-year election cycle, the task force recommended not putting it on the ballot as a proposition, but instead holding a public hearing and changing the local law, so it can be “implemented without further delay.”

The task force recommended allowing the trustees up for election this June to be elected for a three-year term that would end in 2026, and for the next trustees to be elected in 2024 for four-year terms, which would set up for the elections to be held every two years on even-numbered years.

The board would then be left to choose whether to extend the terms for mayor to four years, or leave it at two years.

You May Also Like:

Southampton July 4th Parade Delights Crowd

The Southampton July Fourth parade was held on Friday morning and did not disappoint with ... 7 Jul 2025 by Staff Writer

Come and Tell Us

When Tim Bishop was our congressman, he held numerous town hall meetings with his constituents. They were raucous affairs. Those were the days of the Tea Party, and its members were outraged that the federal government was expanding health care insurance to millions of Americans. And they let Congressman Bishop know it. Usually loudly and sometimes rudely. They seemed unmoved that thousands of their fellow Americans were being driven to bankruptcy by medical debt. They were unconcerned that thousands were dying prematurely due to their lack of access to affordable health care. Many I spoke to seemed more worried that ... by Staff Writer

A Suggestion

I have a suggestion for Craig Catalanotto, who is on record for opposing cross-endorsements and for allegedly switching alliances from Democratic to Republican Party candidates, such as Cyndi McNamara and Stephen Kiely. When the Pine Barrens Commission was in the process of reviewing a proposed golf course development in East Quogue (known as the Lewis Road Planned Residential District, or PRD), I wrote to the commission recommending that a task force be formed to investigate land use on the Lewis Road corridor. The area in question is easy to investigate. One side of Lewis Road includes a sand mine adjacent ... by Staff Writer

Followed Their Lead

While I respect the journalistic integrity of The Southampton Press, I disagree with your editorial awarding the Southampton Village Ethics Board a “dunce cap” for Open Meetings Law violations [“Gold Stars and Dunce Caps,” Editorial, July 3]. The Ethics Board may very well have failed to follow procedural notice requirements. But the dunce cap belongs to the village mayor and his board majority, whose job it is to ensure that all appointed boards receive proper, up-to-date training in the Open Meetings Law and Freedom of Information Law. The mayor and board must mandate training for themselves and all regulatory boards. ... by Staff Writer

Shooting Wildly

As a 30-year litigation-scarred veteran of the sand mining/composting wars waged in Southampton Village and Town, I am a proponent of the amortization of sand mines proposed by the town. In our battles, we were up against the “pre-existing use” free pass, and the town’s and village’s “maintenance” of the sites to dump whatever they chose to, and their reluctance to enforce existing laws, or impose any oversight, which allowed for all manner of activities to flourish. Thrown into the trenches, we learned firsthand how the public was ignored, then penalized; how the inspectors applied existing law selectively; how the ... by Staff Writer

Wonderful Turnout

On behalf of the Fourth of July Parade Committee and the Southampton Village Commission on Veterans Patriotic Events, I would like to thank the community for such a wonderful turnout for the Fourth of July parade. I would like to thank the Village of Southampton employees, police department and Chief Suzanne Hurteau, fire department and Chief Polis Walker, Volunteer Ambulance and Chief Christopher Epley, and the Board of Trustees and Mayor Bill Manger. I also would like to thank the large group of volunteers who stepped up this year when we were concerned that we were not generating enough support ... by Staff Writer

A More Nimble Plan

“It feels like Southampton has lost its soul.” That’s how one local merchant recently described the state of our village business district. Many would agree. Local businesses reported a soft July 4, but a much better July 5 and 6. Just a few miles away, East Hampton and Sag Harbor reported a record weekend. In East Hampton, stores are now staying open late to meet the demand. Southampton Village, by contrast, looked neglected. Trash swirled in the air. Sidewalks were stained and littered with candy wrappers and gum. Mismatched waste receptacles overflowed. This is not the look or feel of ... by Staff Writer

A Simpler Solution

It has taken me a few weeks to respond to the recent “Cup o’ Joe” newsletter, where Executive Editor Joe Shaw ventured onto an editorial limb, venting about village issues, particularly the controversy surrounding Pond Lane. Let’s set the record straight. First, a beautiful proposal, indeed, was submitted to convert the vacant parcel of land into a park. However, this initial proposal did not involve closing Pond Lane. The subsequent idea of transforming Pond Lane into a bike and walking path — what I regard as “the bike path to nowhere” — is impractical at best. You implied that I ... by Staff Writer

SAT Prep Course Offered by Child Care Center

The Bridgehampton Child Care & Recreational Center is offering an SAT prep course ahead of the August 23 test date. Classes will be held Mondays in July and August, with an additional session on Wednesday, August 13, from 6 to 9 p.m.
The cost is $40 and includes a workbook; scholarships are available. To register, email Camryn@bhccrc.org or call 631-537-0616. The center is located at 551 Bridgehampton-Sag Harbor Turnpike.
“SAT Prep can be an important part of that journey,” said executive director Bonnie Michelle Cannon. by Staff Writer

Jazz Mass In Bridgehampton On Sunday

St Ann’s Episcopal Church on Main Street in Bridgehampton will host its annual Jazz Mass on Sunday, July 13, at 10 a.m. All are welcome. The band will include Ada Rovatti and Eric Schugren on saxophone; Mike Gari, guitar; John Mele, drums; and Steve Shaughnessy, bass. The choir will sing Bob Chilcott’s “Little Jazz Mass,” and all are encouraged to join in singing the hymns. A hospitality hour for all follows the service. by Staff Writer