SOUTHAMPTON – Voters at the annual Town Election on Monday defeated both ballot questions, including a Proposition 2 1/2 override to fund a second shift at the Fire Department.
The override was voted down 388-302. A total of 707 ballots were cast in the election, according to Town Clerk Janine Domina. That is nearly 16 percent of the town’s 4,424 registered voters.
This is the second consecutive year that voters decided against funding a second shift at the Fire Station. The $135,000 override would have added about 21 cents to the property tax rate.
Fire Chief John Workman said the second shift would allow for a majority of calls to be answered directly from the fire station. During evening and overnight hours, the department currently works on a standby basis, with firefighters responding to calls from their homes.
Residents also voted 425-253 against changing the town treasurer/collector from an elected to an appointed position.
Having an appointed treasurer/collector is generally considered a “best practice” by the state Department of Revenue, according to Town Administrator Heather Budrewicz. The majority of communities in the state with a population of 5,000 or more have an appointed treasurer/collector.
There were no contested races for the 23 offices on the ballot.
Chris Lindahl can be reached at clindahl@gazettenet.com.