As East Hampton Town Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez was sworn in for her second term as Supervisor on Tuesday, Jan. 6, she will face political as well as policy challenges in the new year.
Though Ms. Burke-Gonzalez, a Democrat, ran unopposed in last year’s election in this Democrat-dominated town, she will need to stand for re-election again this year due to the phase-in of even year elections in New York State. This year she will face a fight in the June 23 primary from East Hampton Village Mayor Jerry Larsen, who launched his campaign, East Hampton Residents for a New Town, just after the November 2025 election.
Former Town Councilman Jeff Bragman also announced this week that he will screen this weekend for the supervisor position with the town Democratic Committee.
Pictured Above: East Hampton Town Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez at the State of the Town Address. |. East Hampton Town photo
With a political battle now ahead of her, the Supervisor outlined the town’s successes and laid out her plans for the upcoming year in her State of the Town Address Tuesday morning, focusing heavily on the town’s work on climate resiliency, workforce housing and community support services.
She was quick to note that, during her tenure as Supervisor, “East Hampton has secured more State investment than at any point in our history.”
“That did not happen by chance. It reflects consistent advocacy, credible planning, follow-through, and real relationship building with our friends in government across all levels,” she said. “And next week, I will be traveling to Albany for Governor Hochul’s State of the State Address and will continue pressing for New York State to invest in our town, because these partnerships translate directly into facilities, services, and opportunities for our residents.”
Though critics of her administration have painted the recent departure of town employees, particularly in the building department, as evidence of a workplace in disarray, Ms. Burke-Gonzalez said in her address that the town currently employs 335 full-time employees, with just nine open positions.
“That stability matters. It means residents are being served, institutional knowledge is being retained, and departments are able to plan and function effectively,” she said. “It also tells an important story about who is choosing to work here. Twenty-one percent of our year-round workforce is age 30 or younger. By comparison, that same age group makes up roughly 7 to 9 percent of the federal workforce. That means East Hampton is attracting younger people who want to build careers in public service, stay in their community, and see local government as a place where they can grow. That is not an accident. It reflects intentional policies, supportive workplaces, and a belief that investing in people is essential to strong public service.”
Protecting East Hampton From Storms and Wildfires
Ms. Burke-Gonzalez touted the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ recently completed, long-awaited work to shore up beaches protecting downtown Montauk, and the town’s commitment of $28 million over the next 30 years to maintain that project, along with the restoration of the dunes at Ditch Plains Beach and the town’s use of $1.1. million in community host agreement funding to ensure the Army Corps’ dredging of Montauk Harbor Inlet could be completed.
In 2026, she said, the town will embark on its Sustainable Planning Coastal Communities work in Montauk, funded by a $600,000 grant from New York State that “will underwrite a community-driven planning process focused on reducing coastal risk, guiding future zoning and building code updates, and protecting the natural resources that support Montauk’s economy and quality of life.”
“Our forests are home to a rich diversity of plants and wildlife, but they are also increasingly vulnerable to wildfire due to a warming climate,” she added. “To reduce risks, Governor Hochul awarded a $2.2 million contract for wildfire mitigation work in Napeague and Hither Hills State Parks. For town-owned properties, we too have hired Star Tree Prescribed Fire LLC to assess fire risk and improve conditions so fire loads can be reduced and fire access improved. This work is about safety. It is about giving our volunteer firefighters clearer access, fewer hazards, and safer conditions when they are called into dangerous situations.”
Ms. Burke-Gonzalez said the town approved 174 applications for residents looking to install nitrogen reducing septic systems in 2025, bringing the total number of these systems in town to nearly 1,000, an investment of more than $14 million in “protecting groundwater, ponds, bays, and harbors.”
“Behind each of those systems is a homeowner making a real decision — a decision to invest in their property, to protect our waters, and to do their part for the larger community,” she said. “Our goal in the coming year is to increase septic installations by 20 percent, focusing on priority watersheds where improvements have the greatest impact.”
All Hands on Housing Continues
Ms. Burke-Gonzalez also touted the $3.17 million New York State awarded through its Pro Housing Supply Funds Program for the 50-unit workforce housing development planned on Route 114 as part of an array of economic development grants announced in mid-December.
The grant will be used to build public water and wastewater treatment infrastructure for the development, “which will be owned and operated by the East Hampton Housing Authority, with all 50 apartments reserved for individuals and families who live and work here,” she said. “This grant will be matched by monies from the Community Housing Fund for a total investment of $6.3 million.
Ms. Burke-Gonzalez also touted the town’s commitment of $1.5 million in Community Housing Funds (CHF) to ensure a four-unit building at 109 Hampton Street in Sag Harbor remains affordable in perpetuity, and said the town plans to launch an accessory dwelling unit construction loan program funded by the CHF this year. The town will also expand its CHF first-time homebuyer down payment assistance program.
“These tools are about adding housing thoughtfully, in ways that fit our community and help people stay close to family, work, and the places where they grew up,” she said.
Caring for a Community
“Caring for a community starts with listening, and making sure people know they are not alone,” she said. “Our Latino and immigrant neighbors are an integral part of our ‘one’ community. They are raising families, showing up early to work, attending religious services, and doing everything they can to build a better future. East Hampton is their home. But I know right now, many of these families are living in fear. The fear of being separated goes against the values we try to live by here: compassion, dignity, and keeping families together.”
Ms. Burke-Gonzalez said the town will establish a Latino Advisory Committee this year, which will “help identify barriers to access to information, services, and resources, elevate community concerns, and provide guidance on policies and public safety practices so that town government better reflects and serves all our residents. It will be a place where voices are heard, experiences are understood, concerns are shared, and trust can grow.”
She also pledged to advance childcare support for working families, partnering with several non-profit child care organizations in the community, and to work to rethink the future of the town’s planned Senior Center, which will be a “reimagined Community Center for all ages.”
“The Town Board will creating an advisory committee made up of community members to help guide how this expanded, reimagined space can best serve people at every stage of life,” she said. “This is about making sure the Community Center reflects how people recreate, socialize, and support one another today, and about shaping a space that belongs to the whole community.”
Toward The Future?
“Local government, at its best, is present. It listens. It responds. And it treats people with respect and compassion. That is the kind of government we are committed to here,” said Ms. Burke-Gonzalez, choking back tears as she finished her speech. “This is not one person’s work. It is not one year’s work. It is the work of a community that believes in showing up for one another. As we move through 2026 together, my hope is that we continue to lean into what makes East Hampton special. A deep love of place. A respect for one another. And a shared responsibility to care for this community we all call home. If we do that, I am confident in what lies ahead.”
Read The Full Speech
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