Letters

Southampton Village Mayor Bill Manger rammed through a bloated $37 million annual budget, the largest in Southampton Village history. Spending continues to spiral out of control, up another $1.2 million this year alone, on top of the $2.1 million increase the year before. There is no discipline, no plan and no regard for the taxpayers who are footing the bill. He said that there would be no increase in taxes. That was untruthful. Village taxes will increase by a quarter of a million dollars.

Also, this budget fails to account for the lifetime health care and other benefits that Bill Manger, Roy Stevenson and Robin Brown, if reelected, will collect at taxpayer expense for the rest of their lives. That’s right — lifelong benefits for part-time politicians. The Village Planning Commission warned that these perks could cost village taxpayers millions of dollars.

In the 2023 election, Manger promised to eliminate these nonconforming lifetime benefits, but he weasel-worded his way out of his promise. Now, he is in a position to collect.

When given the opportunity to end these unjustified benefits, only one trustee, Ed Simioni, had the integrity to say he would vote to stop them. The others? They’ve refused, at your expense.

Let’s not forget: These are the same trustees who voted themselves 30 to 40 percent pay raises and shameful “opt-out” payments. Meanwhile, the hardworking village employees were limited to 2.5 percent raises.

It’s one set of rules for Manger and his cronies, and another for everyone else.

David Rung

Southampton Village