Southampton Finance Committee Opens FY27 Budget Hearings Across Four Departments

Select Board · Meeting of February 12, 2026

Southampton Finance Committee reviews FY27 budgets for assessors, building, fire, and police departments with no new spending approved. The committee's first budget hearing session, held February 12, drew presentations from four departments and surfaced a string of accounting transparency concerns, including a gas stipend paid to Building Inspector Jamie via 1099 rather than as a mileage reimbursement, and fire watch revenue of $18,000 being credited into wage expense lines rather than broken out as a standalone account. Fire Chief Fasoli reported call volume of 1,172 in 2025, nearly double the 529 calls logged a decade ago, and disclosed that eight of the department's 24 SCBA air packs are out of service after a FEMA grant request was denied.

Police Chief Billingsworth reported personnel costs of approximately $1.2 million and $145,000 in operational expenses, with overtime running near $135,000 annually as available part-time officer hours have dropped 68 percent since police reform legislation took hold around fiscal year 2021. The chief credited a $175,000 annual State 911 regionalization subsidy flowing through East Hampton, but committee members noted that subsidy will step down to 75 percent and eventually to zero over coming years, leaving the full dispatch cost as a town obligation.

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Source: the Select Board meeting of February 12, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.