In an editorial last week, the election date that will establish staggered terms for East Hampton Town trustees was misstated. All nine trustee seats are in play this year and in the subsequent trustee election. The results of the 2023 vote will decide which four trustee seats will be contested in 2025 and which five will be up in 2027.
With varying numbers of members, the town trustees have had authority since the town’s establishment in the 17th century. A 1686 patent from governor of the British New York Colony affirmed the trustees as the duly authorized and recognized governing body of the town. Known as the Dongan Patent, after Gov. Thomas Dongan, the document reserved to the people of East Hampton numerous rights, including that of passage and fishing on beaches, that are have been at the heart of conflicts to the present day.
This year, early voting begins on Oct. 23 in East Hampton Town at Windmill Village, 219 Accabonac Road in East Hampton. Election Day is Nov. 2.