Letters

As we approach Election Day this Friday, I want to take a moment to share a little more about who I am, why I’m running for reelection as your village trustee, and the work we’ve accomplished together over the past four years. It has been my greatest honor to serve you, and it would be a privilege to continue putting in the work for another term to make our village the very best it can be.

My roots in Southampton Village run deep. Like so many of you, I was drawn here by the special character of our village — its beauty, history and the amazing people I have since had the joy of getting to know. My husband and I have had the pleasure of calling Southampton home for over 25 years. Before that, I dedicated much of my career to humanitarian work around the world. My experience spans from building schools and tiny houses in South Africa to rescuing children from trafficking in Thailand and supporting female entrepreneurs.

Working alongside Mayor Bill Manger and my fellow trustees, we’ve made important progress on issues that directly impact quality of life in our village. We’ve improved public safety through much-needed equipment investments for our first responders. I collaborated with the police department to enforce commercial vehicle weight monitoring, which will protect our residential streets from heavy truck traffic.

I also co-chaired the search committee that promoted one of our outstanding village officers to the role of police chief. We’ve done all this while keeping taxes flat this past year, ensuring we maintain strong fiscal responsibility.

As Coopers Beach liaison, I’ve led the village’s effort to reclaim our ranking as the No. 1 beach in the United States, a distinction we proudly regained just a few weeks ago.

We’ve acquired new rescue equipment, including drone patrols and Jet Skis, to make Coopers Beach safer for our children; enhanced beach accessibility with sand wheelchairs; expanded broadband internet access; and generated a $1.9 million surplus in beach revenue over the past two years. I’ve had the chance to speak with many of you while out walking along the beach, and I deeply believe that Coopers is both a gathering place and crown jewel of our village. If you want a committed steward for Coopers Beach on the Village Board, I’m the one for the job.

I would be honored to have your vote on June 20 at the Southampton Cultural Center (25 Pond Lane) to continue this important work. Together, we can keep moving Southampton forward.

Robin Brown

Trustee

Southampton Village