We Mark Our Ballot: Southampton Town

There are precious few choices for Southampton Town voters to make between now and November 4, a sad state of affairs based on well-documented horse trading that took place behind the scenes. The key swap made sure Maria Moore did not face a challenger for a second term as supervisor; in exchange, Charles McArdle, likewise, will cruise to a second term as highway superintendent. That both are doing a terrific job and deserve reelection is some consolation, but local government is always better when voters have choices. That was taken away from them, largely, this year by party leaders — and the deal-making affects both of the key competitive races.

The race for town clerk is the easiest call to make: Sundy Schermeyer, a veteran of the position, should be easily reelected. Yes, it’s always good to have a choice, and Mark Bernardo, the Democratic challenger, has done his best to make it a race. But it’s very clear that Schermeyer is overwhelmingly qualified for the post she holds, and she has a long record of excellence to back it up, including serving as the Long Island district director for the New York State Town Clerks Association, and president of the Nassau Suffolk Town Clerks Association.

Moreover, in the post, she has steadfastly kept politics at bay while accomplishing much. Shortly after first being elected, she founded the town’s Historic Division, protecting and showcasing the trove of documents in the town’s long history as the treasures they are. She recently brought her office into the 21st century by allowing payments by credit card, and she has always been on the side of greater access by the public.

Frankly, she deserves better. For several election cycles, she was cross-endorsed for reelection. This was valid, because this is one elected post where competency is mandatory and excellence should be rewarded — there is virtually no foothold for criticizing the job she does — and political party is inconsequential. This year, the Democratic Committee decided to take her on — was it face-saving after taking a knee on so many other potentially competitive races? — and while Bernardo has been feisty, he hasn’t made a case that his background in any way prepares him for this job. Certainly not more than Schermeyer.

This is one race where Democrats should not vote a straight ticket for loyalty’s sake. Local elections are about finding the best person for the job, and party affiliation should be secondary. This post is already filled with the best candidate and has been for years. A vote any other way is blindly partisan, something we don’t need in today’s political environment.

The race for Town Board also is tainted by the machinations that took place beyond the public eye — a real shame. Because the three candidates on the ballot for two seats are all exceptional, all well qualified to serve on the Town Board, and all are genuine local leaders who should be commended.

The two incumbents are both Republicans, Cyndi McNamara and Rick Martel; the challenger is Tom Neely, a Democrat who is a familiar face at Town Hall. There are other candidates on the ballot — we won’t mention them by name here, because they are classic “straw men” on third-party lines who are not actually running campaigns and are on the ballot solely to sow confusion as part of the convoluted run-up to this election. Nobody, absolutely nobody, should cast a single vote for any of them: Send a message deploring such shenanigans.

There are two seats and three candidates, which brings up another sad reality: The Democratic Committee left its candidate, Neely, out to dry by not nominating a running mate. Game theory confirms that in a race for two seats, with two incumbents, a challenger running alone has a very significant headwind that will be difficult to overcome, because most voters will cast two votes, and one will always be for an opponent. To be elected, Neely is going to have to convince people to give up one lawful vote, marking the Town Board ballot only once, for him.

It’s a shame — Neely also deserves better. He’s a strong candidate with a background of public service, and strength in one key area: traffic. As an appointed town official, he helped create the South Fork Commuter Connection, which was a solid step in the right direction. He’s smart, level-headed and decidedly nonpolitical by nature. He’s a strong candidate. To their detriment, party leaders have stacked the deck against him as part of some larger scheme.

It’s also the case that the two incumbents have been exceptional Town Board members. The attack by Suffolk County Democratic leaders, by direct mail, on her “MAGA” credentials is truly despicable and out of touch, because the fact is that McNamara has done nothing while in office that can be tied to a strongly partisan position. She has regularly worked with Moore and the other Democrats, cordially and productively, and her commitment to the community is irrefutable. She disagrees, respectfully, from time to time. She has never been disagreeable.

The same is true of Martel, who is the ultimate behind-the-scenes guy, the one who seems uncomfortable getting credit for the work he does. That’s to his disadvantage at times — he lost a reelection bid to Democratic colleague Michael Iasilli in 2023, before returning with a win in a special election in March. But he’s a stalwart in the job and deserves to stay.

There are no bad votes in this race. But Cyndi McNamara and Rick Martel have been active, solid Town Board members who deserve to be returned to the dais. Neely is absolutely worth voters’ consideration and also should be in line for future vacancies — and given a fair opportunity by his party next time to actually compete and win in a fair fight.