East Hampton Town Trustee Terms Doubled

New York State has doubled the terms that Town of East Hampton trustees serve from two to four years.

Outgoing Governor Andrew Cuomo signed into law a bill that passed the state legislature which increases the terms of office for the Trustees of the Freeholders and Commonalty of the Town of East Hampton beginning with the biennial election to be held in 2023 for all nine trustee positions.

“Increasing the term of office will better ensure the continuity and stability of projects of the board,” said State Assemblyman Fred Thiele (I-Sag Harbor) who sponsored the legislation. “Moreover, newly elected trustees will be afforded the privilege of learning from the experience of longer serving mentors.”

The trustees, a panel created three centuries ago to manage public use of town beaches, bay bottom and wetlands, are a separate entity from the town board that manages the budget, policy and legislation. Southampton and Southold towns also have trustees.

Under the new law, the five candidates who receive the largest number of votes shall hold office for a term of four years and the remaining four successful candidates shall hold office for a term of two years. Thereafter, at all subsequent biennial town elections, all trustees shall hold office for a term of four years.