Southold Town Elected Offices: Job Overviews
The next Southold Town Local Election is in November 2025. Interviews for Democratic nominees will begin in January 2025, selections will be made by March 2025, and the campaign begins in April 2025. If you are interested in being interviewed please complete and submit the form on the “Run for Something” page.
Job Title: Town Supervisor
Number of Seats: One
Is this seat open in 2025? No
This seat was filled in 2023 and is not up for election until 2027.
Salary as of Jan 2022: $121,437.00, Full Health Benefits
Term: 4 years
Hours: Full Time
Brief Job Description: The Town Supervisor is tasked with overseeing and managing all the business and government employees in Southold Town. In addition, the Supervisor is an equal member of the Town Board- proposing, passing, and ratifying local policies and code, the Town Board is responsible for overseeing the town budget, has oversight over the Southold Town Police and investigates town departments when necessary.
Why you should consider running: You are an involved and active citizen within Southold Town. You are a proven leader, committed to developing policy that benefits residents, listening and responding to constituents, adept at conflict resolution and collaboration, and passionate about the future of Southold Town.
Job Title: Town Council (aka Town Board)
Number of Seats : Five (one Fishers Island)
Is this seat open in 2025? Yes
Two Town Council seats are up for election in 2025, as well as the Fishers Island Town Council/Justice role (see below).
Salary as of Jan 2022: $38,350.00, Full Health Benefits
Term: 4 years
Hours: Part Time ~ 20 hours/week
Brief Job Description: A Town Council member (also referred to as Town Board member) is tasked with representing the interests of the constituents of Southold Town. In addition to proposing, passing, and ratifying local policies and code, the Town Board is responsible for overseeing the town budget, has oversight over the Southold Town Police and investigates town departments when necessary.
Why you should consider running: You are an involved and active citizen within Southold Town. You are a leader, committed to developing policy that benefits residents, listening and responding to constituents, adept at conflict resolution and collaboration, and passionate about the future of Southold Town.
Job Title: Town Trustee
Number of Seats : Five
Is this seat open in 2025? Yes
Three (3) Town Trustee seats are up for election in 2025.
Salary as of Jan 2022: $21,177.00, Full Health Benefits
Term: 4 years
Hours: Part Time, 5-20 hours per week, depending on calendar
Brief Job Description: Administers all activity within 100 feet of the town's wetlands and the underwater lands owned by the Trustees for its citizens (also known as “common lands”).
Why you should consider running: You are an environmentalist who likes to spend time outdoors and loves the shoreline. Protecting our waterways and beach-front land is crucial to protecting and limiting the impacts of climate change. This is a crucial job, and expertise or insight into marine science, and/or environmental science is a helpful skill set for this job.
Job Title: Town Clerk
Number of Seats : One
Is this seat open in 2025? Yes
This seat was filled in 2021 and is up for election in 2025.
Salary: $112,194.00; Full Health Benefits
Term: 4 years
Hours: Full-Time, Evening meetings
Brief Job Description: The Town Clerk's Office is responsible for most of the Town records and record-keeping, as well as issuing the various state and local permits and licenses. Keeps minutes at official town board meetings, publishes agendas and meeting-related documents.
Why you should consider running: You are highly organized, have management experience, and are committed to public service.
Job Title: Highway Superintendent
Number of Seats : One
Is this seat open in 2025? Yes
This seat was filled in 2021 and is up for election in 2025.
Salary: $116,437.00, Full Time, with full Health Benefits
Term: 4 years
Hours: Full Time
Brief Job Description: The Highway Department provides maintenance and improvements to over 200 miles of Town roads. Some responsibilities of the Highway Department includes maintenance of town equipment, traffic lanes, installation of catch basins for drainage control, installation of Town and street signs, brush and leaf removal, street sweeping, resurfacing and sealing streets, snow removal and ice control. It is the Highway Department’s mission to be effective and efficient while managing the maintenance of the Town’s roadways systems. To provide safe and convenient movement of traffic as well as pedestrians. Accomplishing it at the most economical means available for Southold Town’s tax payers.
Why you should consider running: You are a leader and have experience with physical infrastructure and maintenance, paving, plowing, sanding and heavy equipment, and you are able to effectively manage staff.
Job Title: Town Tax Assessor
Number of Seats : Three
Is this seat open in 2025? Yes
Two (2) Town Tax Assessor seats are up for election in 2025.
Salary as of Jan. 2022: $83,859.00, Full Health Benefits
Term: 4 years
Hours: Full Time
Brief Job Description: The assessors prepare an assessment roll of all real property, vacant and improved, within the Town of Southold, establishing the condition, value and taxable status of each parcel of property. The valuations determined by the assessors are then used to apportion the amount of the Town, County and school taxes to be levied against each parcel of real estate.
Why you should consider running: Ideally, you have real estate experience in Southold Town, and you understand what makes our properties valuable. If you’re a woman, and/or a person of color, you’d be a welcome balance to this all white male team. In other towns, this position is non-elected. It’s an important position in the town, and is a good fit for a detail-oriented person, who also likes to be out and about within the community.
Job Title: Town Justice
Number of Seats : Two
Is this seat open in 2025? Yes
One (1) Town Justice seat is up for election until 2023.
Salary as of Jan 2022: $78,446.00, Full Health Benefits
Term: 4 years
Hours: Part Time. Court is in session approximately one half of the day every Wednesday and Friday. There are two Judges who cover the court sessions on a two week rotating basis – on two weeks off two weeks. Trials and hearings are usually conducted before or after a regularly scheduled session on a court session day. The Judge’s responsibilities include work outside of the court sessions and their two week period. Judge needs to be available for arraignments particularly on weekend mornings.
Brief Job Description: Handles criminal cases but the court is without felony jurisdiction. Vehicle & Traffic, DWI, domestic disputes that involve alleged action, violations of probation, municipal code violations, i.e., rental permit law, parking, fishing/ECL violations, Small Claims (under $3,000.00) civil jurisdiction, landlord/tenant disputes and evictions, dangerous dog cases.
Why you should consider running: You are committed to the rule of law and fundamental fairness. You have court-related experience (particularly litigation, as an attorney, paralegal, court clerk or other position that gives you insight into the proceedings).
Job Title: Fishers Island Combined Roles of
Town Justice & Town Council
Number of Seats : One
Is this seat open in 2025? Ye
This office is up for election until 2025.
Salary as of Jan 2022: $58,481.00, Full Health Benefits
Term: 4 years
Hours: Part Time, Variable
Brief Job Description: This role combines the jobs of Town Justice and Town Council for Fishers Island. Please see the descriptions for each of the roles.
Why you should consider running: You are a resident of Fishers Island. Please read section for Town Justice and Town Council.