Tillotson Will Be Unopposed In Bid To Return To Mayor's Seat In Sagaponack Village

Sagaponack Village’s new mayor will not really be new.

Bill Tillotson, who served a three-year term from 2005 to 2008 when the village was first incorporated, appears likely to return to his former role next month, as the current mayor, Donald Louchheim, has chosen not to seek reelection, and Tillotson will be unopposed on the June ballot.

Louchheim, who will turn 85 in June, had indicated to Tillotson a while back that he would not seek reelection, and Tillotson had agreed he’d run again to replace Louchheim, who served as a trustee during the years Tillotson was the village’s first mayor.

Tillotson, who was born and raised in Sagaponack, had emerged as a leading voice during the push for incorporation in the early 2000s. Serving as its first mayor required plenty of sacrifice at the time, as Tillotson, a farmer by trade, had to hire other workers to help run his wholesale nursery business.

This time around, that won’t be an issue, as he’s largely retired and handed the operation to his son.

Tillotson has been a member of the Zoning Board of Appeals for a long time, and said his interest in taking care of the village has not changed.

“I’ve got opinions on a lot of things, and I see Sagaponack as a place that’s maybe not unique but is close to that because of the active farming and the beach,” he said, adding he has lamented the ways the village has moved away from that history, and is dedicated to trying to preserve it.

“The question always seems to be, if you knew then what you know now, what would you have changed?” he said. “Is there something we can look forward at, and figure out how we can keep the things that make Sagaponack different?”

Tillotson, because of his background, is a defender of agriculture and will likely focus on trying to protect agricultural interests in the village. He said he is also interested in creating more beach access.

He said he is happy to return to the role, and added that Louchheim did a great job during his tenure. “The village was lucky to have Don,” he said. “He knows so many people and has great attention to detail, and his work ethic is incredible. He was such a great resource.”

As he takes over, Tillotson will be overseeing the application for a renovation and expansion project at the Sagg General Store. He added that he is also interested in putting together an event to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Sagg Bridge in fall 2023.

In keeping with the long tradition of unopposed elections in Sagaponack, the two trustees also up for reelection are also running unopposed. Deputy Mayor Lisa Duryea Thayer is seeking what would be her eighth term, while Marilyn Clark is seeking her second term.