East Hampton Town’s chief building inspector, Richard Normoyle, will receive a bump in pay in 2027.
Hired in September 2025 as principal building inspector at a salary of $135,000, he received a $5,000 increase when he became chief building inspector in June. When the preliminary 2027 budget was first discussed, his salary for next year was set at $147,000, but when Rebecca Hansen, the town administrator and budget officer, gave the town board a final presentation on the preliminary budget Tuesday that number had risen to $155,000.
Even before the most recent presentation, rising costs at the Building Department were noted in the messaging about the town’s preliminary budget, which is piercing the tax cap for the third consecutive year. Full-time salaries in the department increased over $400,000 in just the last year to $1.53 million. When Mr. Normoyle was hired, the department had 10 employees; it now has 19.
“A well-functioning Building Department matters to a homeowner waiting for a permit, but it also matters to the contractors, tradespeople and local businesses whose livelihoods depend on projects moving forward,” Town Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez said in her budget message. “We have been adding the staff and resources needed to strengthen the department, and this budget continues that work.”
After the preliminary budget was first discussed earlier this month, Ms. Hansen told the board she needed to add $164,180. That also included over $90,000 to hire new lifeguards to staff an additional stand and $25,000 more for the deer management program.
The budget will be available next Thursday on the town’s website for the public to review. It must be formally adopted by Nov. 20.
Mr. Normoyle’s one-year tenure has been eventful, marked by transition, expansion, and criticism. He entered a Building Department under investigation by the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office. By last spring two people had been arrested for bribe taking and official misconduct in connection with the probe. Just two weeks ago, the two -- Evelyn Calderon, who had been a principal office assistant, and Ryan Benitez, a former building inspector -- each pleaded guilty.
Persistently long wait times for building permits and other inspections have led to continued criticism of the department. In May, Mr. Normoyle told the town board that by Jan. 1, 2027, wait times for permits would be reduced to three months.
Meanwhile, the town board has proposed code changes to ease pressure on the department, and staffing has increased.
All the while, the department has continued to adjust to online applications through the town’s OpenGov portal.
In July, it became clear that Mr. Normoyle’s state certification as a New York State Code Enforcement Officer had lapsed. Neither the town nor the state acknowledged that fact until after he retook and passed the state exam in late August.
The town has said his lapsed certification has no impact on building permits he approved previous to Aug. 25, when his certification was reinstated.
