Patch Candidate Profile: Maria Moore For Southampton Town Supervisor

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.

Maria Moore, a Democrat and currently the Westhampton Beach Village Mayor, is facing off against Republican candidate and current Southampton Councilwoman Cynthia McNamara in the race for Southampton Town Supervisor, a position currently held by Jay Schneiderman.

Here is Patch's candidate profile of Maria Moore:

Name

Maria Z. Moore

How old will you be as of Election Day?

63

Does your campaign have a website?

https://moore4supervisor.org/

What city or town do you live in?

Westhampton Beach

What office are you seeking?

Southampton Town Supervisor

Party affiliation

Democratic and Conservative

Education

Juris Doctor

What is your occupation?

Mayor for nine years, attorney for 35 years

Do you have a family? If so, please tell us about them.

Married to husband Tom for 33 years and have two daughters, Elizabeth (28) and Jacqueline (25)

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Have you ever held a public office, whether appointive or elective?

Currently the Mayor of Westhampton Beach, in 10th year.

Now we'd like to ask a few questions about your reasons for running and your general views on politics and government. First, why are you seeking this office?

I am seeking the office of town supervisor to bring my executive experience as mayor and my skills as an attorney for 35 years, to serve all the people of the Town of Southampton.

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

The town needs an organized approach to planning to effectively address the interconnected challenges of: protecting our water, mitigating traffic congestion; providing opportunities for workforce housing; and securing the stability of our electrical grid to prepare for green energy.

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

Authorize a 1/8 percent county sales tax to fund water quality improvement projects, subject to a mandatory referendum.

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

We must first prioritize repairing failing infrastructure, and these repairs must bring our infrastructure up to the current best standards. All levels of government must be coordinated to work cooperatively to identify goals that satisfy our interconnected jurisdictions.

How would you plan to help local business owners, who are struggling because of high rents, inflation and labor shortages?

Government must evaluate regulations and zoning as part of planning to ensure that these regulation and laws do not become an unnecessary burden to the success of businesses. At the same time, government must make certain that valuable rules and laws are equally enforced. High rents, inflation, and labor shortages are not resolved by town government, but rather by a thriving economy.

What is your stance on the current migrant situation affecting New York? And migrants were to be directed to shelters on Long Island, how would you prepare/plan for that?

The immigration crisis is the product of the failure of the federal government. We must elect representatives that are prepared to address the challenges of immigration.

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

The major difference between me and the other candidate is experience. I have been a mayor for nine years and an attorney for 35 years and successfully led the reconstruction of our business district, which included the provision of sewers; the other candidate had served only 1 year on the town board when she was nominated as her party's choice to be our next town supervisor.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?

We must re-establish trust with our constituents. Trust is essential in a representative government. Residents should never feel they have to protect themselves from their government, but rather have confidence that they will be treated fairly. There is a natural tension between open space preservation funded by the Community Preservation Fund and the new Community Housing Fund (CHF). This tension must be resolved and the benefits and burdens must be fairly shared throughout the town and resolved by updating the 1999 Comprehensive Plan.

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

As an attorney with 35 years' experience, I brought my legal skills to the office of mayor. During more than nine years as the mayor of Westhampton Beach, I led my community in rebuilding and improving our Main Street infrastructure through 2 major public works projects, paid for with $19 million in grant funding and prudent fiscal management.

Click here and read about the environmental and pedestrian safety features and other aspects of the revitalization projects for which the Village of Westhampton Beach received Smart Growth and Quality of Life awards.

This was all accomplished while overseeing the day-to-day functions of the Village that operates its own police department, building department, department of public works, clerk/treasurer's office, justice court, parks, public beaches, and marina.

As the Village's chief fiscal officer, I delivered annual budgets that provided for the public safety and infrastructure needs of the community, while never exceeding the state-mandated 2 percent tax cap. In fact, the tax rate in the Village of Westhampton Beach is now lower than when I took office 9 years ago.

For more than 9 years I led our village team of dedicated public servants, who have delivered great government service at an affordable price, and inspired private owners to improve their own properties. With all of us working together, Westhampton Beach has changed for the better.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

'The time is now.' With two year terms, every day counts as an opportunity to work towards our shared goals.

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

We need to protect what is great, fix what is broken, and prepare for the future. We are all in this together.