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Residents urge board to preserve Smart Start preschool and add staff at senior center
Summary
During public comment at the July 20 meeting residents described families losing preschool seats after recent cuts and urged restoration of senior‑center staffing; speakers cited a $97,000 Smart Start grant, nearly 400 petition signatures and senior‑center membership data (1,326 members).
Dozens of residents and service leaders used the Board of Finance’s public‑comment period on July 20 to press the board to preserve early‑childhood and senior programs that face reductions under the proposed budget.
Haley Guy (speaker 7) told the board her son and other children accepted into the Smart Start preschool had been notified their placements were lost because of budget reductions. She said nearly 400 people signed a petition asking the town to preserve Smart Start and argued the program is a long‑term investment in school readiness: “Our children deserve better,” she said.
Holly Marrero (speaker 9), director of the East Hampton Senior Center, described a center with 1,326 members and said staff answered more than 15,500 member check‑ins last year. Marrero said the center often has days with more than 100 visitors and argued that current staffing (two staff on some days) is insufficient to meet safety and operational expectations.
Other commenters — including the fire chief and ambulance service leadership — urged the board to avoid cuts that would weaken first‑responder capacity or public‑safety support. Several residents asked the board to consider using part of the projected surplus or reallocated capital funds rather than cutting recurring services.
The superintendent (speaker 20) told the board that the Smart Start program carries operating costs (salary and benefits roughly $204,000) that exceed the competitive state grant (about $97,000) and that discontinuing the program this year would likely cause the town to lose the grant; he said a sliding fee schedule could add an estimated $45,000 but would not close the full gap.
While the board heard the appeals, it voted later in the meeting to approve the BOE figure that includes the additional reductions. Residents and staff said they may pursue outreach to the town council and voters ahead of the referendum.
