Southampton Village Ballot

This year’s Southampton Village campaign has been active, with lots of information for voters to parse — and, unlike in some recent elections, the back-and-forth between the candidates has been respectful and restrained, even when the differences are significant and the criticism is pointed. This is testimony to the quality of all the candidates for both mayor and the two trustees seats, and it demonstrates that local elections can be hard-fought without being unseemly.

In the race for mayor, Bill Manger is the choice — with a few provisos.

At the recent debate sponsored by this newspaper, Manger and his challenger, Village Board member Ed Simioni, shared a discussion of village issues full of substance. It must be said: Simioni has been an exceptional addition to the Village Board, and his role as a dissenting voice is essential. He’s a veteran of village government, even though he’s only been a trustee for a year, and his ability to provide calm, informed opposition is invaluable. But on the stage with Manger, it was clear which candidate is a better fit as mayor.

Manger is a good leader, he’s willing to stake out a position and explain why, and he works well with his colleagues on the Village Board — even with Simioni, as was clear in the pair’s interactions at the debate. He has the rare ability to create teams and get things done. That quality serves him well as mayor.

There still are tendencies that can be troublesome. Manger occasionally seems headstrong to get things done — not a bad quality — but it can rankle some village residents. Take the solar array in the parking lot off Jobs Lane: His explanation for its location is perfectly reasonable, but it seems to have come too late for a lot of critics who dislike the aesthetics. Armed with a board majority that solidly backs him, Manger occasionally sees a mandate when there’s really more work to do in building consensus in the community.

That said, his list of accomplishments as mayor is impressive, and despite the chorus of opposition he faces on almost every matter from some in the community, he has stayed focused on moving the village forward on many fronts. He deserves another term.

As for Simioni, he is perfectly suited for the role he is in right now on the Village Board, more so than he would be as mayor. That’s not criticism: We encourage him to continue the fine work he’s doing for village residents.

Which brings us to the second race, for two village trustee seats — and Simioni’s status as the lone voice of opposition influences that decision.

Rob Coburn has been far and away the best candidate in this race for village trustee. He has served in village government and has been a regular voice of reason in commenting on local issues. Whether in letters, at meetings or at the recent debates, he’s informed, respectful and passionate. Rarely does he give the impression that he’s being frivolously contrarian — when he disagrees, he brings a wealth of knowledge and insight. He deserves to be on the Village Board, serving beside Simioni as an independent voice who must be heard, and consulted, before decisions are made.

Which creates a problem, because there are two incumbents also running for the two seats on the Village Board. Roy Stevenson and Robin Brown both have been dedicated village officials who are active in the community and have served honorably. Choosing between the two is difficult.

The recent conversations about Brown and the Ethics Board ruling have been harmful to a degree, though the allegation at the heart of the debate — that she attended two events, without paying — feels thin. More troubling is the extent to which the board used taxpayer money to find an alternate opinion. But, to be clear, none of it comes close to disqualifying, and it shouldn’t lead anyone to reconsider a vote for her.

Tough choices have to be made, and we think Roy Stevenson has the edge in continuing on the Village Board, having put in hard work on important issues like the desperate need for a sewer system, which hasn’t paid off yet but seems to be progressing. As a local businessman, Stevenson’s investment in the downtown is a deciding factor in a race where there are no bad choices, just difficult ones.