Select Board Stalls Again on Vacant Seat

Select Board · Meeting of August 11, 2026

Southampton Select Board again declines a special election for its vacant fourth seat. Town Clerk Lucy Dolan pegged the cost near $3,300 to $3,500 and warned a pairing with the September 1 primary could confuse mail-in voters with "two separate ballots." Members agreed to draft a formal vacancy policy at the August 25 meeting rather than act Tuesday, with one warning the board "may have to have that special election pretty quick" if another seat turns over unexpectedly. Separately, the board accepted a $249,800 Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness grant to advance HVAC and shade-canopy design at Norris, building on the earlier "Project Stay Cool" study.

A resident identified only as Nilda asked the board to investigate a personnel matter and said she had "asked for an investigation"; the chair promised a response within 24 hours. The board also reappointed seven election workers at $15 an hour and hired two part-time fire department paramedics.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 3,294 words

Source: the Select Board meeting of August 11, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.