Patch Candidate Profile: Margaret Friedlander For Southampton Trustee

SOUTHAMPTON, NY — Southampton Town residents will be hitting the polls soon to elect local representatives.

The race is on leading up to Election Day, which, this year, falls on Tuesday, November 7.

Patch asked those running for office to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles in the days leading up to the election.

Margaret Friedlander, a Democrat, is facing off against nine other candidates who are vying for five open Southampton Town Trustee seats. Those candidates include Democratic candidates Theiakoronronthe R. Chavis, Joseph McLoughlin, Matthew Parsons, and Daniel Van Arsdale and Republican candidates Mark Haslinger, Scott Horowitz, Richard Maran, Daniel Martel, and Edward Warner, Jr.

Here is Patch's candidate profile of Margaret Friedlander:

Name

Margaret Friedlander

How old will you be as of Election Day?

61

What city or town do you live in?

Southampton

Party affiliation

Democrat, Working Families Party

Please complete this statement: The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is _____, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Lack of information, transparency, and community engagement from elected officials.

My roadmap to address this issue in my role as Trustee includes:

* Establishing a communication strategy to

a) Ensure we are proactively engaging our constituents in a collaborative 2-way dialogue (E.G., monthly meetings with Civic and/or CAC organizations)

b) Establish transparency by leveraging various media channels (E.G., social media and website content)

c) Make certain everyone in the Town of Southampton knows there’s a Board of Trustees, and understands who we are and what we do on their behalf

* Ensure the public is clear about the operational aspects of the Trustee Board
* Establish a positive and effective working relationship with our Town Board
* Address and resolve open items related to the Trustee budget, tax line, and MOA

What needs to be done to address water quality issues on LI?

Many, if not all, of our waterways are located in areas where heavy landscaping chemical use causes toxic algal blooms. There are sustainable management solutions to mitigate this issue. However, big-picture, and long-term, we need to address the primary sources of this problem. If we want to do no harm, let’s all :

* Improve groundwater and local waterways by reducing the use of harmful fertilizers and pesticides
* Improve human and pet health by reducing harmful pesticide exposure
* Take steps to encourage a healthy and biodiverse ecosystem by planting native species
There’s always been the relationship of landscape to water to consider, but even more so with escalating climate change. We must set new standards and educate landowners, gardeners, and landscapers about the very real benefits of toxin-free nature-based land care. Rethink what’s beautiful.

What do you think can be done to help improve our infrastructure, highways, etc?

One viable solution is getting the Long Island Railroad to make track and schedule improvements on eastern Long Island to make commuting either east or west more viable. For those who are in the trades and require their trucks and equipment —there is no easy answer.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I am a civically engaged and informed environmental advocate. I am a businesswoman with 20+ years of results driven local advertising and marketing program management with a sweet spot for 'too big to fail' initiatives.

Key skill sets include:

* Fiscal experience: Defined and successfully managed budgets of up to $5 million. All programs coming in within scope, schedule, and budget
* Consensus building: Proven effective collaboration leading small and large (60+) cross-functional and culturally diverse teams
* Research driven: Proactive deep dive research, productive engagements with subject matter experts, and analytics inform my decision making

And, BTW, I can also run lines and outriggers, on a 50’ offshore fishing boat.

I’m most proud of having been the person who alerted my community of Hampton Bays about the residential zoning, and the justifiable environmental and public safety concerns related to grid-scale lithium-ion battery energy storage systems (BESS).

Well before being asked, and accepting, to run for elected office, I was proactively doing my own research about BESS, which was not on my community’s radar.

Decisions were being made by Town Board members that put our public safety and environment at risk.

Yes, I turned the lights on in Hampton Bays about BESS, but without the entire community rallying, educating themselves, and speaking out — the Canal Southampton BESS could have been green lit. Instead, we have a moratorium; albeit I remain vigilant.

I am not a climate change denier, nor do I deny the need for 'green adjacent' technology. However, it is imperative that residential zoning for grid-scale lithium-ion battery BESS in the Town of Southampton be repealed.

Great communities have at their core strong and inclusive civic engagement which capitalizes on the ideas and talents of all members of the community working together to ensure the common good and make meaningful contributions.

As a Trustee, I will continue to be an advocate and make meaningful contributions on behalf of the entire Town of Southampton.

If you are challenging an incumbent, in what way has the current officeholder failed the community?

I want to see a diverse Southampton Town Trustee Board that doesn’t reflect 'an old boys' club' mentality. A Board that stands behind the true spirit of community engagement and transparency. Why after so many years do the majority of people in the Town of Southampton not know who the Trustees are, and what they do? It’s extremely important for all Board members to change this circumstance. Particularly with the responsibility of an adopted 2024 budget of $1,446.924 (our tax dollars). We also need to establish and maintain a healthy working relationship with the new Town Board, which may include former Trustee Board members.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

As I previously mentioned, alerting my community of Hampton Bays about the residential zoning, and the very real environmental and public safety concerns related to grid-scale lithium-ion BESS. This highlights my collaborative nature, communication, and consensus building skills which make me a strong motivator and influencer who can inspire a team (as well as a community) towards a common goal.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I’m proud to be running for elected office for the first time. I’m a life-long learner and new experiences and challenges are my happy place. My goal as Trustee is to collaboratively work with my fellow bipartisan board members as we take action to protect and restore habitats, retain public access to our waterways, engage and listen to our community, and work in partnership with subject matter experts to implement solutions which will improve and protect our water quality.
If I’m elected, it would be an honor serve as a Southampton Town Trustee and advocate for our community.