An Uncomfortable Negotiation

The Southampton Village Board last week hosted an unusual and uncomfortable meeting. In the midst of negotiating a new employment contract with Police Chief Thomas M. Cummings, the board decided to update the public on the status of the talks.

Mayor Jesse Warren cited a need for transparency when it came to the negotiations, in an effort to put an end to swirling, months-old rumors that he had been looking for a way to fire the chief, and was even threatening to put the probationary employment of the chief’s son, Thomas Cummings Jr., in jeopardy if the chief did not acquiesce to the mayor’s demands.

There is nothing in the law that prohibits the board from conducting contract discussions in public — and, in fact, the conversation steered clear of specifics of the new contract or demands from the chief regarding salary or benefits. Instead, last week’s meeting focused on the chief’s current contract, including his salary and benefits, which both the mayor and Village Board member Gina Arresta implied were exorbitant.

Board member Mark Parash objected to the discussion as inappropriate, and board member Joseph McLoughlin, the liaison to the department, also objected, saying he only would offer comments during a closed-door executive session, where such matters are typically discussed.

While the mayor should be applauded for trying to publicly put an end to the rumors surrounding the negotiations and shine a light on the process, the nitty-gritty details of the back and forth between the board and the chief’s labor attorney should be conducted privately. Contract negotiations in general, by their nature, can often become heated and adversarial, and are best left behind closed doors, where those involved can negotiate in good faith.

At the same time, the mayor and board members should be free to publicly — and on the record — clear up any misconceptions about the negotiations, rumors that might be used by either side to sway the process.