Southampton Boards Face COA Funding Cliff, Highway Deficit in Joint FY27 Budget Hearings

Select Board · Meeting of February 19, 2026

Southampton Select Board and Finance Committee scrutinize four department budgets under override pressure. At a February 19 joint session, the boards reviewed FY27 spending requests from the Council on Aging, Board of Health, Public Library, and Highway Department, with no votes taken. COA Director Kate DeSanto warned that a grant-funded outreach worker position expires in June, pushing a request to fully municipalize $131,890 in COA salaries — an 85 percent increase over what the town previously reported funding directly.

Board of Health Chair Caitlin Rooks disclosed the town owes contracted health consultant Charlie roughly $8,000 from a dissolved revolving fund that now requires Town Meeting approval to release, and sought a special consultant line of approximately $40,000 for FY27. Highway Superintendent Randall reported a projected snow and ice deficit of nearly $100,000 on the season and flagged that right-of-way acquisition costs for the East Street reconstruction, Safe Routes to School, and Greenway projects could reach six figures and remain unbudgeted. Town Administrator Scott confirmed free cash this year is expected to cover both a roughly $130,000 CARES Act central-office obligation and the winter roads deficit, leaving zero for stabilization or capital.

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Source: the Select Board meeting of February 19, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.