East Hampton Town Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez delivered her 2026 State of the Town Address on January 26, outlining how town government is caring for the community through responsible fiscal management, environmental stewardship, housing investment, public safety, workforce stability, and expanded services for residents of all ages.
“Serving in local government teaches you very quickly that responsibility is about being accountable to the people you serve,” Burke-Gonzalez said. “The choices we make here at the dais do not stay in reports, resolutions, or meeting rooms. They show up in people’s lives every day.”
Throughout the address, Burke-Gonzalez emphasized that caring for a growing, year-round community requires both compassion and capacity. East Hampton’s year-round population has grown by 35% over the last ten years, increasing daily demand for town services, infrastructure, and staffing.
“To show up for people consistently, we have to make sure the town itself is strong, prepared, and able to do its work well,” she said. “Care is not only about intention. It is also about capacity.”
Burke-Gonzalez said, under her leadership, the town maintained its Aaa credit rating and received a clean independent audit of its financial statements. Over the past year, East Hampton closed more than 100 capital projects, strengthened core services, and continued modernizing operations so residents can interact with local government more easily and efficiently.
“Caring for our community, today, requires us to make sure our services, infrastructure, and staffing keep pace with the people who call this place home, year-round,” Burke-Gonzalez said.
She also highlighted the launch of East Hampton’s first community-wide newsletter, which will continue reaching every household in 2026.
“Care also means communicating clearly and consistently,” she said. “Clear, accessible information is one of the simplest and most important ways local government shows respect for the people it serves.”
In her speech, Burke-Gonzalez said that protecting water quality was described as one of the most important ways the town cares for both the environment and public health. In 2025 alone, the Town approved 174 septic incentive applications. Since the program began, nearly 1,000 nitrogen-reducing systems have been installed townwide, representing more than $14 million invested in protecting groundwater, ponds, bays, and harbors.
“Behind each of those systems is a homeowner making a real decision,” Burke-Gonzalez said. “A decision to invest in their property, to protect our waters, and to do their part for the larger community.”
The town has also invested nearly $10 million through the Community Preservation Fund Water Quality Program across 55 projects designed to capture and treat stormwater runoff before it enters sensitive waterways. Several major projects are moving from planning into construction in 2026, including drainage improvements at Cove Hollow, stormwater controls at the West Lake Boat Launch, and continued oyster reef construction in Three Mile Harbor.
Burke-Gonzalez underscored the town’s long-term responsibility to protect its shoreline, which safeguards neighborhoods, business districts, and the local economy. She highlighted continued progress on the federally authorized Montauk Coastal Storm Risk Management Project, a $184 million initiative designed to provide planned dune nourishment rather than repeated emergency repairs.
“We also have a responsibility to care for our shoreline, which safeguards our neighborhoods and business districts and is the foundation of our local economy,” she said.
Under her administration, Burke-Gonzalez said, East Hampton has committed nearly $28 million over 30 years to secure consistent coastal protection for Montauk. Additional actions included dune reconstruction at Ditch Plains, dredging at Lake Montauk to protect commercial fishing and navigation, and a new state-funded coastal planning effort in Montauk.
Caring for the community also means addressing emerging risks tied to climate change, including the increasing threat of wildfire in East Hampton’s forests.
“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,” Burke-Gonzalez said.
To reduce these risks, Governor Kathy Hochul awarded a $2.2 million contract for wildfire mitigation work in Napeague and Hither Hills State Parks. This work focuses on reducing hazardous fuel loads, improving forest conditions, and making landscapes safer for nearby communities.
On town-owned properties, East Hampton has hired Star Tree Prescribed Fire LLC to assess wildfire risk and improve on-the-ground conditions. The goal of this work is to reduce fire loads, improve access, and make future wildfire response safer and more effective.
“This work is about safety,” Burke-Gonzalez said. “It is about giving our volunteer firefighters clearer access, fewer hazards, and safer conditions when they are called into dangerous situations.”
The effort is also intended to protect nearby homes and residents by reducing the intensity and spread of potential wildfires before emergencies occur.
She also noted that East Hampton preserved nine properties totaling more than 36 acres in 2025 and now manages more than 5,800 acres of preserved land. In addition, the town recently received a $200,000 Climate Smart Communities grant to develop a Natural Resources Inventory to guide conservation and land-use decisions.
Housing stability was identified as a core component of caring for the community. Burke-Gonzalez announced that the town recently received more than $3 million in funding from the state to install public water and wastewater treatment infrastructure for a new 50-unit affordable housing development along Route 114, matched with Community Housing Fund resources.
“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.
She also highlighted efforts to preserve existing rental housing in Sag Harbor, expand accessory dwelling units, launch an ADU construction loan program, and grow the First-Time Homebuyer Down Payment Assistance Program.
Support for seniors was another central focus. In 2025, the town provided 12,500 transportation rides to seniors and prepared more than 28,000 meals through the Nutrition Program. In 2026, expanded county funding will allow East Hampton to serve even more residents, Burke-Gonzalez said.
The supervisor also highlighted the completed Montauk Playhouse, now operating as a year-round community hub for recreation, senior nutrition, childcare, and the arts, and discussed plans to reimagine the senior center as a community center serving residents of all ages.
“Caring for families also means making sure working parents have the support they need,” Burke-Gonzalez said, pointing to continued partnerships supporting childcare access and affordability.
Burke-Gonzalez addressed the importance of inclusion and trust, particularly for immigrant families. “Our Latino and immigrant neighbors are an integral part of our one community,” she said. “East Hampton is their home.”
This year, the supervisor said, the town will establish a Latino Advisory Committee to identify barriers, elevate concerns, and advise on town policies and services.
The address also highlighted public safety improvements, including the hiring of more police officers, expanded Marine Patrol staffing, handling 911 calls, and traffic safety improvements such as the Stephen Hands Path roundabout.
Recreation investments included the new year-round athletic field at the Honorable Fred W. Thiele Recreational Facility, expanded playgrounds, new pickleball courts, and additional park improvements.
Finally, Burke-Gonzalez emphasized workforce stability, noting that more than 97% of Town positions are filled and that a growing share of employees are under age 30.
“Caring for people also means caring for the workforce that delivers these services every day,” she said.
Burke-Gonzalez concluded by returning to the central theme of the address. “Everything I have shared today comes back to something very simple,” she said. “East Hampton works when we care for one another.”