Letters

The primary issues for Southampton Town are traffic and the lack of affordable housing, and they are, of course, related. We have an opportunity to address both issues by electing Tom Neely to the Town Council.

Tom’s local traffic control expertise and experience is unmatched. For more than 25 years, he worked at Hampton Jitney, the transportation company, growing it from a small business into the large company it is today. During that time, he was the president of the Southampton Chamber of Commerce, reflecting his connection to the concerns of the business community generally.

Since 2005, he has served as the Southampton Town director of intermodal transportation and traffic safety, working with the community on town traffic and safety issues. Among other things, he lowered speed limits where appropriate and implemented the South Fork Commuter Connection and the South Fork Bikeway.

Tom knows that a critical cause of the traffic problem is the lack of affordable housing in town. He also knows from personal experience that the cost of housing here has made it impossible for many young people who grew up here to live here as adults. He has made constructing such housing a primary focus of his efforts.

At a time when the traffic in Southampton has reached a crisis, we need Tom Neely’s expertise on the Town Council.

Edward Kornreich

Westhampton Beach