East Quogue Village Vote Set for Oct. 17
Southampton Town is preparing for a special vote on whether to incorporate a Village of East Quogue. The vote will be held on Thursday, Oct. 17, between the hours of noon and 9 p.m. at the East Quogue Elementary School, 6 Central Avenue, in East Quogue.
The boundaries of the proposed village include everyone in the 11942 zip code, along with any properties outside that zip code in the East Quogue School District.
The area in the 11942 zip code includes the East Quogue School District and the North East Quogue Fire Protection Area, which includes much of the northern portion of the Quogue Wildlife Refuge and land north of the Village of Quogue and west of Route 104, including the Wildlife One and The Woodlands subdivisions.
Each resident in the above areas qualified to vote for town officers may vote at the election. The law does not authorize absentee voting.
On Friday, Oct. 11, between the hours of noon and 9 p.m., a registration list of voters qualified to vote at the election will be available for review by the public at the town clerk’s office at Southampton Town Hall, 116 Hampton Road, Southampton.
At that time, residents claiming to be qualified to vote at the election whose names are not on the list may, upon presentation of proof of qualification, have their names added. No one whose name does not appear on the registration list will be entitled to vote on Oct. 17.
East Quogue residents who filed the petition and created the East Quogue Village Exploratory Committee are 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 have modeled their proposal after the Village of Sagaponack, which was incorporated in 2005.
The East Quogue Village Exploratory Committee plans to negotiate contracts with Southampton Town Police, Highway and Parks departments and the East Quogue and North East Fire Protection Districts, but plans to create its own planning and zoning boards, building department and code enforcement department contained in a small village hall building. They plan to adopt Southampton Town’s Comprehensive Plan for future development.
Based on the Village of Sagaponack’s operating expenses, the Exploratory Committee estimate the cost of running the village at $600,000 per year, of which $400,000 would be paid for by mortgage tax and permit revenue and revenue sharing with Southampton Town and Suffolk County. They estimate the remaining $200,0000 in annual expenses would cost ten cents for every $1,000 of assessed valuation, which would come out to about $50 per year for a property owner whose house is valued at $500,000.
