Law enforcement vet Anthony Carter, who almost became a Hamptons PD chief, takes village's administrator role instead

Southampton Village board members appointed Suffolk Deputy Police Commissioner Anthony Carter as village administrator Tuesday night — nine months after he backed out of becoming the municipality's police chief.

Carter, 49, will replace Charlene Kagel-Betts, who is retiring Oct. 31, according to the village. Carter said his tenure with the Suffolk County Police Department ends Nov. 10 and he'll start his new job Nov. 13.

In December, the board voted 4-1 to appoint Carter as the village's police chief, a position he would have started in March.

But the provisional hire didn’t last long after Carter backed out of the job just more than a month later. At the time, Carter cited lack of support from former Mayor Jesse Warren, who lost reelection in June.

"This is a different role but it's still about public service and it's about serving others, so that is something for me I've always had a passion for," Carter said in an interview Wednesday.

Carter will collect a $165,000 annual salary, according to the resolution the board approved Tuesday with a 5-0 vote.

The village administrator is responsible for implementing and managing the annual budget as well as other administrative and supervisory responsibilities, according to Mayor Bill Manger Jr. In the most recently adopted village budget of $33.7 million, police funding accounted for $12.3 million.

Manger said in an interview Tuesday he wanted the new village administrator to have “familiarity with a municipality with a large police department” and an ad for the position on the village website said experience in police department supervision was “required.”

But the mayor added that the board didn't carve out the position specifically for Carter. He said several candidates applied for the position and he was “sort of surprised” earlier in fall when Carter’s name surfaced.

Carter said he was "very interested" in the position after the village attorney reached out to suggest he would be an ideal candidate.

In July, Suzanne Hurteau became the village police department’s first female chief and the East End's first female top cop with a promotion that solidified the role she held in an acting capacity for nearly two years.

Manger said he was confident Carter and Hurteau will work well together.

“Anthony Carter as the administrator will not be interfering with the running of the police department,” Manger added.

Carter reiterated that stance Wednesday, saying he was in "complete lockstep" with Hurteau.

"I'm just looking forward to not only assisting her but all of the department heads," he said.

Suffolk County Police Commissioner Rodney K. Harrison appointed Carter in February 2022 to the deputy commissioner position after Carter served as an inspector in the NYPD, where he worked for 28 years. Carter said he has been in charge of operations and administration for Suffolk's police force as deputy commissioner.

Kagel-Betts, 63, will remain with the village as a part-time treasurer with an annual salary of $35,000 starting Nov. 1, officials said.

She filed a lawsuit in January against Warren and the village alleging age discrimination. That litigation remains active in Suffolk County Supreme Court.

By Joe Werkmeister

joe.werkmeister@newsday.com

Joe Werkmeister covers the towns of Southampton, East Hampton and Shelter Island. He is a graduate of St. Bonaventure University and previously worked as the editor of two North Fork community newspapers.

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