Patch Candidate Profile: Michael Iasilli For Southampton Town Council

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.

Michael Iasilli, a Democrat, is facing off against Democratic candidate Bill Pell and Republican candidates Richard Martel and William Parash in the race for two open seats on the Southampton Town Council.

Here is Patch's candidate profile of Michael Iasilli.

Name

Michael A. Iasilli

How old will you be as of Election Day?

32

Does your campaign have a website?

https://facebook.com/michaelfo...

What city or town do you live in?

Southampton

What office are you seeking

Town Council

Party affiliation

Democratic, Working Families

Education

Ph.D., M.A., B.A.

What is your occupation?

Legislative aide, two-and-a-half years; adjunct professor, 7 years.

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

My wife Christina and our dog Gracie.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No.

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

I've never held public office, but I was an elected union leader with the Faculty Association and was previously appointed to the Brookhaven Town Disability Task Force.

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 running because I believe residents in Southampton feel they are losing control of their communities. Increasing traffic, the cost of living, and disorderly development is diminishing the quality of life for ordinary folks. I believe we need proactive leadership that will work to enhance representation across the hamlets of Southampton and promote bottom-up solutions, that involve people in the process of government decision-making. My experience prepares me to do exactly that.

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

Traffic, and I plan to form a traffic mitigation taskforce to identify problem corridors throughout the town and invite local participation on what kind of solutions can be applied to certain places. We will also draw upon the ideas of experts and public safety officials, so we can keep our community safe and also explore ways to alleviate traffic congestion, without manipulating existing infrastructure and enhancing the commuter experience for residents.

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

In Southampton, I would work to incorporate the Shinnecock Nation's kelp farming methods, which is proving to aid the regeneration of aquaculture and other marine life habitats that are important for the health and sustainability of our waters. I'd also like to hold periodic seminars in Town Hall with Suffolk County's Department of Health Services to inform residents on how to update their septic systems and install I/As. There is a generous grant program that can help provide additional funds for people who are willing to make this improvement, and the application process should be more readily available for interested residents.

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

I think we need to consider traffic circles as a great way to help enhance our roads, that doesn't add additional lanes or change the size of our highways. We need to embark on methods that don't invite more traffic but reduce cars on the road.

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

We should first ensure that landlords are not unfairly charging high rent to a tenant just because they can. We should seek to create a mechanism that keeps in check the landlord's ability to increase rent on a business that operates with few staff members and is committed to serving the community. However, a key to the labor shortage is housing. Here in Southampton, housing is largely unaffordable for working people. I would seek ways to streamline 72-H properties that typically go off to auction at market value, and instead seek to ensure the town is able to repurpose them for affordable housing purposes.

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?

We have to work with our federal representatives. Immigration is a federal issue. We have to ensure that we include our federal partners in the conversation and work to simplify the asylum seeking process and find humane solutions to our broken immigration system.

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

I have the highest number of endorsements compared to the other candidates and I am more qualified in terms of my education and experience in government and academia.

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

In order to enhance hamlet representation, I want to seek the feasibility of establishing council districts so that hamlets have one representative that they can turn to when they need help, instead of looking through a laundry list of assignments that are assigned to each elected council member by the supervisor. If we can do this, we not only streamline the process of government, but also ensure that the people can hold their officials more accountable.

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

I took the lead in the office of Suffolk County Legislator Bridget Fleming on finding ways to protect the Long Pond Greenbelt from development, and got the support of our Democratic colleagues but also our Republican colleagues across the aisle. Additionally, I helped with drafting a Dark Skies law, which worked to reduce the kelvin on county facilities to protect nocturnal wildlife. And I have been integral to maintaining constituent services for the 2nd Legislative District, connecting residents to critical governmental services and collaborating with the state, towns, and villages.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

Fortune favors the bold.

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

I want to serve my community, because I believe that everyday working people need someone who will advocate for them in government. Those who are left behind need a hand. I want to be someone people can turn to when they need help.