logo logo logo logo

Government / News / Southampton Press / 1481987

Candidates Spar In League Of Women Voters Debate Thursday Night

icon 3 Photos
Members of the Remsenburg-Speonk Board of Education at a special meeting to adopt the 2013-2014 budget. ERIN MCKINLEY

Members of the Remsenburg-Speonk Board of Education at a special meeting to adopt the 2013-2014 budget. ERIN MCKINLEY

authorErin McKinley on Oct 23, 2015

The final debate of the 2015 campaign season was held on Thursday night with candidates for Suffolk County legislator, Southampton Town supervisor and Southampton Town board going head to head one last time before heading to the polls.

In the at times heated county legislator debate, opponents Republican Amos Goodman and Democrat Bridget Fleming agreed that county finances need to be addressed as quickly as possible, but disagreed on pretty much everything else. According to Ms. Fleming, she is most qualified for the county position because of her experience as a Southampton Town councilwoman and her past public service work as an assistant district attorney fighting sex crimes, saying she has the knowledge and focus to handle any of the county's issues. For Mr. Goodman, he said he is most experienced in the business world and has worked on large scale budgets in the past. His experience growing businesses, he said, could be used to repair the county's floundering finances.

In the supervisor debate, Republican Richard Yastrzemski and Democrat Jay Schneiderman covered several topics, including aircraft noise, Planned Development Districts, hiring a town manager, the Tuckahoe Center and water quality. Both candidates discussed the looming possibility that Community Preservation Funds will be able to be used for water quality issues, saying there is potential to make strides in the issue.

For Town Board, Democrat John Bouvier, Republican Damon Hagan, Democrat Julie Lofstad and Republican Christine P. Scalera are all focusing on quality of life issues, saying that traffic, water quality, affordable housing and code enforcement are all interrelated. All four are promising to increase the quality of life for all of the town residents while preserving the rural nature of Southampton Town. The issue of affordable housing is split between the candidates, with Mr. Bouvier and Ms. Lofstad pushing creating a system matching senior citizens with extra space with younger members of the work force to provide housing. For Ms. Scalera and Mr. Hagan, the focus was on streamlining the process of getting rental permits.

You May Also Like:

Fractures Showing on Southampton Village Board Over Issues Like Meeting Agendas, Records Release, Workforce Housing and More

There was a period of time, not too long ago, when the Southampton Village Board could be counted on to pass almost any resolution or legislation with a 5-0 vote. It happened so frequently, in fact, that many residents began to question if that kind of uniformity of thought was healthy for the village, or if it was a sign that the art of dissent had been lost, along with a willingness to thoughtfully examine both sides of any given issue. One thing’s been made clear in the second half of the calendar year — that period of smooth sailing ... 12 Dec 2025 by Cailin Riley

East Quogue Engineer's Dazzling Light Show Brings Joy and Raises Money for St. Jude Children's Hospital

​When Joseph Commisso was a child, growing up in East Quogue, he remembers making a ... by Cailin Riley

Southampton Police Reports for the Week of December 11

WESTHAMPTON BEACH — Dario Vasquez, 26, of Hampton Bays was arrested by Westhampton Beach Village Police on December 9 and charged with driving while ability impaired by alcohol, a misdemeanor. At 1:09 a.m., Police said they observed a blue Chevrolet Silverado traveling west on Mill Road in an unsafe manner by failing to maintain its designated lane. Officers conducted a traffic stop at the intersection of Mill Road and Wayne Court. The driver exhibited signs of intoxication and was placed under arrest, according to police. FLANDERS — Walmer Santos-Alvarez, 25, of Riverhead was arrested by Southampton Town Police at about ... by Staff Writer

Southampton Community Packs a Truckload of Holiday Cheer for Families in Need

Southampton Town residents have once again shown their generosity by contributing to the Southampton Town ... by Staff Writer

Harmony for the Holidays

Let’s be real: As jolly as the holidays can be, they can also be overwhelming. ... by Jessie Kenny

Dear Neighbor

Congratulations on your new windows. They certainly are big. They certainly are see-through. You must be thrilled with the way they removed even more of that wall and replaced it with glass. It must make it easier to see what is going on in your house even when the internet is down. And security is everything. Which explains the windows. Nothing will make you feel more secure than imagining yourself looking over the rear-yard setback from these massive sheets of structural glass. Staring at the wall has well-known deleterious impact, and windows the size of movie screens are the bold ... 11 Dec 2025 by Marilee Foster

I Can Dish It Out

Our basement looks like the final scene in “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” where the (found) ark is crated and wheeled into the middle of a government warehouse with stacked crates going on for miles. In other words, we have a lot of stuff. This tracks. Mr. Hockey and I have been married for 36 (according to my calculator) years. We’ve had four (no calculator needed) pucks. We’ve lived in seven (according to my fingers) different homes in three (no calculator or fingers needed) countries. In 2010, we moved back to East Hampton full time. We brought everything we had ... by Tracy Grathwohl

The Urgency of Real

The Hamptons International Film Festival typically takes up a lot of oxygen in the fall on the South Fork, but it’s worth celebrating a slightly smaller but just as vital event in late autumn: the Hamptons Doc Fest. Running this week for its 18th year, the festival of documentaries was founded by Jacqui Lofaro and has become an essential part of the region’s arts scene every year. It’s a 12-month undertaking for Lofaro and her staff, and the result is always a tantalizing buffet of outstanding filmmaking, not to mention unforgettable stories. The arrival of the era of streaming services ... 10 Dec 2025 by Editorial Board

Proceed With Caution

Overlay districts are a common zoning tool used by many municipalities. Southampton Town has used them to varying degrees of success — the aquifer protection overlay district has been a winner; a downtown overlay district in Hampton Bays less so — in various parts of the town. They essentially look at the existing zoning, then allow those rules governing what can be done on properties to be reconsidered if there’s a newer concern to be addressed. In a bid to clean up the process for creating more affordable housing, the Town Board is looking at a new overlay district that ... by Editorial Board

Southampton Town Unveils Proposal To Allow Hotels To Rise Again

The Southampton Town Board is considering creating a new “floating zone” overlay district that could ... by Michael Wright