East Quogue Village Vote Fails

Pictured Above: The ‘no’s” had it in a special vote on incorporating a Village of East Quogue

An effort to incorporate a Village of East Quogue failed Thursday, Oct. 17, with 58 percent of voters who turned out casting ‘no’ votes on the question of whether the hamlet would become its own village.

A total of 1,531 votes were cast in the special vote held at the East Quogue Elementary School, with 889 voters casting ballots against incorporation and 642 voters casting ballots for incorporation.

The boundaries of the proposed village would have included everyone in the 11942 zip code, along with any properties outside that zip code in the East Quogue School District. 

East Quogue residents who filed the petition and created the East Quogue Village Exploratory Committee were seeking greater control over their local affairs in the wake of Southampton Town’s handling of a proposed 118-unit housing and golf course subdivision known as “The Hills at East Quogue,” and modeled their proposal after the Village of Sagaponack, which was incorporated in 2005.

The East Quogue Village Exploratory Committee had planned to negotiate contracts with Southampton Town Police, Highway and Parks departments and the East Quogue and North East Fire Protection Districts, but planned to create its own planning and zoning boards, building department and code enforcement department contained in a small village hall building.

In light of the vote against incorporation, “no proceeding for the incorporation of the same territory may be commenced for one year,” according to New York State Village Law.