logo logo logo logo

Government / News / Southampton Press / 1505615

Voters Approve Rogers Memorial Library Budget

icon 1 Photo
Voters approved the 2020 budget for the Rogers Memorial Library. GREG WEHNER

Voters approved the 2020 budget for the Rogers Memorial Library. GREG WEHNER

authorStaff Writer on Aug 5, 2019

Voters from the Southampton and Tuckahoe school districts headed to the polls on Friday and handily approved the 2020 Rogers Memorial Library budget of $4,868,901, in a 194-35 vote.

Along with approving the budget, voters also chose to have two incumbents retain their seats to the library Board of Trustees. Incumbents Victoria Kahn and Isabel Sepulveda-de Scanlon both retained their seats, with Ms. Sepulveda-de Scanlon scooping up 126 votes, and Ms. Kahn collecting 118. Challenger Georgette Chapek collected the third-highest number of votes, 91, and Neil Brownlee received 61.

The approved budget represented a $173,045 — or 3.7 percent — increase from the current budget of $4,695,856 and the total tax levy will increase by $174,045, or 3.8 percent, from $4,599,756 to $4,773,801 next year.

Library officials estimate a 2020 tax rate of 0.1516 per $1,000 of assessed valuation — down 4 percent from the estimated 2019 tax rate of 0.1587 cents.

The budget gained support from 157 voters from the Southampton School District and 37 from the Tuckahoe School District — 28 voters from Southampton opposed the budget, as did 7 from Tuckahoe.

You May Also Like:

Fractures Showing on Southampton Village Board Over Issues Like Meeting Agendas, Records Release, Workforce Housing and More

There was a period of time, not too long ago, when the Southampton Village Board could be counted on to pass almost any resolution or legislation with a 5-0 vote. It happened so frequently, in fact, that many residents began to question if that kind of uniformity of thought was healthy for the village, or if it was a sign that the art of dissent had been lost, along with a willingness to thoughtfully examine both sides of any given issue. One thing’s been made clear in the second half of the calendar year — that period of smooth sailing ... 12 Dec 2025 by Cailin Riley

East Quogue Engineer's Dazzling Light Show Brings Joy and Raises Money for St. Jude Children's Hospital

​When Joseph Commisso was a child, growing up in East Quogue, he remembers making a ... by Cailin Riley

Southampton Police Reports for the Week of December 11

WESTHAMPTON BEACH — Dario Vasquez, 26, of Hampton Bays was arrested by Westhampton Beach Village Police on December 9 and charged with driving while ability impaired by alcohol, a misdemeanor. At 1:09 a.m., Police said they observed a blue Chevrolet Silverado traveling west on Mill Road in an unsafe manner by failing to maintain its designated lane. Officers conducted a traffic stop at the intersection of Mill Road and Wayne Court. The driver exhibited signs of intoxication and was placed under arrest, according to police. FLANDERS — Walmer Santos-Alvarez, 25, of Riverhead was arrested by Southampton Town Police at about ... by Staff Writer

Southampton Community Packs a Truckload of Holiday Cheer for Families in Need

Southampton Town residents have once again shown their generosity by contributing to the Southampton Town ... by Staff Writer

Harmony for the Holidays

Let’s be real: As jolly as the holidays can be, they can also be overwhelming. ... by Jessie Kenny

Dear Neighbor

Congratulations on your new windows. They certainly are big. They certainly are see-through. You must be thrilled with the way they removed even more of that wall and replaced it with glass. It must make it easier to see what is going on in your house even when the internet is down. And security is everything. Which explains the windows. Nothing will make you feel more secure than imagining yourself looking over the rear-yard setback from these massive sheets of structural glass. Staring at the wall has well-known deleterious impact, and windows the size of movie screens are the bold ... 11 Dec 2025 by Marilee Foster

I Can Dish It Out

Our basement looks like the final scene in “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” where the (found) ark is crated and wheeled into the middle of a government warehouse with stacked crates going on for miles. In other words, we have a lot of stuff. This tracks. Mr. Hockey and I have been married for 36 (according to my calculator) years. We’ve had four (no calculator needed) pucks. We’ve lived in seven (according to my fingers) different homes in three (no calculator or fingers needed) countries. In 2010, we moved back to East Hampton full time. We brought everything we had ... by Tracy Grathwohl

The Urgency of Real

The Hamptons International Film Festival typically takes up a lot of oxygen in the fall on the South Fork, but it’s worth celebrating a slightly smaller but just as vital event in late autumn: the Hamptons Doc Fest. Running this week for its 18th year, the festival of documentaries was founded by Jacqui Lofaro and has become an essential part of the region’s arts scene every year. It’s a 12-month undertaking for Lofaro and her staff, and the result is always a tantalizing buffet of outstanding filmmaking, not to mention unforgettable stories. The arrival of the era of streaming services ... 10 Dec 2025 by Editorial Board

Proceed With Caution

Overlay districts are a common zoning tool used by many municipalities. Southampton Town has used them to varying degrees of success — the aquifer protection overlay district has been a winner; a downtown overlay district in Hampton Bays less so — in various parts of the town. They essentially look at the existing zoning, then allow those rules governing what can be done on properties to be reconsidered if there’s a newer concern to be addressed. In a bid to clean up the process for creating more affordable housing, the Town Board is looking at a new overlay district that ... by Editorial Board

Southampton Town Unveils Proposal To Allow Hotels To Rise Again

The Southampton Town Board is considering creating a new “floating zone” overlay district that could ... by Michael Wright