Letters

What is your favorite part of living in Southampton?

Some residents may say beautiful fields and foliage, while others may say our beautiful beaches. I would go so far as to say most answers would involve some aspect of the environment. In fact, often overlooked, our environment is one of the major issues that elected officials can directly impact.

Our town has long explored ideas for environmental conservation, but there is still little to show for it. We have dirty, polluted lakes and inadequate drainage.

While campaigning door to door, our environment has proven to be a major issue of conversation. I am often asked: What do you think a good idea would be to focus on environmental conservation? Well, I gave that question some thought and performed research.

If elected to the Town Board, I will focus on initiating a discussion pertaining to the way we perform certain carting services. Mainly, I believe we can look at services related to carting glass products, with the hope of streamlining and incentivizing the process.

During my research, I have found that there is machinery that can be used to transform glass into usable sand. If we look at East Hampton, we can see that they are using this system proactively and effectively. If we were to implement this type of technology within our town, it could save the taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars annually in carting fees. Not to mention, it would also provide clean sand to use for beach beautification and environmental conservation.

Throughout my campaign, I have made commitments about bringing new ideas and objectives to our Town of Southampton. As residents, we can all agree we want an outcome that is best for the long-term viability of our town. In order to do that, changes must be made. I stand by my promises and look forward to demonstrating my passion for working proactively for all town residents.

I welcome all inquiries and input about my stances and candidacy for Southampton Town Board. If you have any questions or want to become more involved in preserving Southampton, please reach out and contact me directly.

Ann Thomas

Southampton

Ms. Thomas is a candidate for Southampton Town Board on the Republican line — Ed.