East Hampton Town Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez delivered the annual State of the Town address at Tuesday’s East Hampton Town Board meeting, focusing on successes from 2025 and the direction the town will take in 2026, and announcing the creation of a new Latino advisory committee.
“Thank you for being part of this community. Thank you for showing up.” The supervisor teared up at the very end of her speech when she said, “and thank you for the privilege of serving as your town supervisor.”
Because of a change in New York State law that moved local elections to even-numbered years, while Ms. Burke-Gonzalez was sworn in as supervisor on Tuesday, she immediately faces a new election cycle and a likely primary challenge in June and must go right back into campaign mode. Her current term expires in a year.
In that context, her address could be viewed as a resume of her tenure as supervisor.
“Over the last 10 years, East Hampton’s year-round population has grown by 35 percent,” she said. “That growth brings energy, opportunity, and new voices into our community, but it also brings responsibility. It means more families relying on town services, more calls for help, and more daily interactions with local government.”
She highlighted the town’s commitment to the environment, discussing water quality, coastal resilience, and the newly constructed Ditch Plain dune, and lauding a $200,000 award from the New York State Climate Smart Communities Program, which will allow the town to develop a natural resources inventory.
“During my time as supervisor, East Hampton has secured more state investment than at any point in our history,” she said. “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 that in 2025, the town had approved 174 applications through its septic incentive program, which has aided in the installation of almost 1,000 low-nitrogen systems across the township since its inception. “Our goal in the coming year is to increase septic installations by 20 percent, focusing on priority watersheds where improvements have the greatest impact,” she said.
No one has been named to the Latino advisory committee yet, but Minerva Perez, executive director of Organizacion Latino Americana of Long Island, said she is “very encouraged” by the names that have been floated.
“By creating more ways and avenues to listen to town members as well as avenues to relay information, the benefit is for all,” she wrote in a text.
According to the most recent census, Latinos make up 26 percent of the town’s population.
“Ultimately, OLA would love to see this initiative grow civic engagement and general awareness,” said Ms. Perez. “The laws and policies of the town have direct impact on the lives of residents, employees, students, and visitors. The more we understand, the better chance we have to contribute to healthy and thriving communities.”
Ms. Burke-Gonzalez explained that the committee will advise the town board, help identify barriers to information, services, and resources, elevate community concerns, and provide guidance on policies and public safety practices. “It will be a place where voices are heard, experiences are understood, concerns are shared, and trust can grow,” she said.
She recast the controversy over the stalled senior citizens center project, of which she was a strong champion, as a new opportunity to hear from the community before taking the next steps. The center was also to house the Human Services Department, which provided 12,500 transportation rides for older residents in 2025, and through its nutrition program, prepared and served more than 28,000 meals.
“Building on the success of the Montauk Playhouse, we will be rethinking the future of the senior center, as a reimagined community center for all ages,” she said.
She touted new recreation facilities, reasserted the town’s dedication to historic preservation and public safety, and said she looked forward to a successful transition of 911 dispatch services to the town from the village, to be completed this week.
Finally, she lightly touched on a sore spot from 2025: turnover in some town departments.
“Today the town employs 335 full-time employees, with nine open positions, meaning more than 97 percent of our positions are filled,” she said. “It also tells an important story about who is choosing to work here. Twenty-one percent of our year-round work force is aged 30 or younger. By comparison, that same age group makes up roughly 7 to 9 percent of the federal work force. 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.”
In addition to the State of the Town address, multiple employees were sworn in for their appointments, including David Lys as deputy town supervisor, Councilwoman Cate Rogers and Councilman Ian Calder-Piedmonte, Town Clerk Michael Hansen, Town Justice Steven Tekulsky, Town Assessor Eugene DePasquale, and the town attorneys.
Carole Brennan, who served as town clerk for years and chose to retire from that role, performed her last swearing in (of the new town clerk) and accepted a part-time position as the secretary to the board of ethics.
Members of advisory boards were sworn in as well, including Denise Savarese, who will take the helm of the zoning board of appeals as its chairwoman, and Jose Arandia, a real estate agent who is joining that board. Chip Rae will continue as chairman of the architectural review board and Chris Britton will continue as vice chairman. Jennifer Fowkes was sworn in as vice chairwoman of the planning board, and Jeanne Carroza was sworn in as the town’s senior purchasing agent.
