Trustees Vow To Fight Back After Lawsuit

Southampton Town Trustees are asking for the people's support after being hit by a lawsuit.

According to their Facebook page, the town trustees are fighting back after being served an injunction that ordered the town board to "take control of trustee accounts."

The town trustees are an elected board that makes decisions concerning the town's waterways; they operate under the Dongan Patent, established in 1686.

The trustees plan to appeal the judge's decision and "stand ready to defend the allegations made in the lawsuit," the page read.
 
"Every year the board's finances are inspected by an independent auditor, hired by the town, and a town attorney attends every meeting of the board and is aware of any expenditures approved by the trustees. Now is the time to enact meaningful legislation in Albany to reaffirm the jurisdiction and powers of the trustees instead of allowing one decision to alter 374 years of access and protection of your resources. We will continue to keep you updated as information becomes available," the trustees wrote.

Southampton Town Supervisor Anna Throne-Holst did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

During the past election, the trustees were a point of contention between Throne-Holst and her challenger, Linda Kabot, who maintained that residents' rights as freeholders were at stake based on the supervisor's wish to professionalize the trustees.

Throne-Holst has maintained publicly at debates that she believes the trustees are not equipped with the extent of knowledge necessary to handle burgeoning problems in the bays such as nitrogen-loading and other critical issues.

Trustee Bill Pell, on his Facebook page said the group needed residents to call Throne-Holst's office or members of the town board and ask them to support the trustees, as "they promised in their campaign."

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