Reporter endorsements for Tuesday's election

Two seats, three players.

Not musical chairs but your choice Tuesday to vote for two out of three candidates for the Shelter Island Town Board.

Two incumbents of long-standing, Councilwoman Chris Lewis, running on the Republican and Conservative lines, and her colleague, Councilman Ed Brown, joining her on the Republican and Conservative tickets, face off against Robert Reylek, the Democrat, Independence and Working Families candidate.

In an election where the incumbent supervisor, highway department superintendent, town clerk and town assessor are all running unopposed, the two Town Board seats have three dedicated and well-respected candidates to fill them.

Mr. Reylek isn’t a stranger to elections or public service, serving 21 years on the Shelter Island School Board of Education, 19 as president. His commitment to his community is obvious, not just for his work on the BOE, but as vice president of the Lions club and as a director of the Shelter Island Association.

Ms. Lewis has been a Town Board member for 12 years, serving with distinction. She has conscientiously represented her constituents, being especially dedicated to Island seniors.

An example of Ms. Lewis steadiness, sense of responsibility and openness was her handling of the so-called “dark skies” debate that consumed months of the Town Board’s time, wrangling over a simple lighting law. It got rough in work sessions, to the point where people’s integrity was challenged, but Ms. Lewis kept her head and saw through the passage of the law.

Councilman Brown has served on the Town Board for 13 years. Anyone who has attended meetings will recognize him as the most active fiscal hawk among his colleagues. He doesn’t speak in theories, but in numbers and what that will mean to the taxpayer’s wallet. In addition, Mr. Brown has spoken often about making decisions carefully, knowing that setting precedents today may handcuff future Town Boards.

To look at the dark skies debate as a way to define political temperament, Mr. Brown came out as solid, as opposed to histrionic. Strongly against the eventual law, he never descended to bickering or outraged expression.

The Reporter endorses Councilwoman Christine Lewis and Councilman Ed Brown for well-deserved reelection to the Town Board.

For County Legislator
Because of redistricting, we are now in Suffolk County’s second legislative district, which includes the Island and runs from Montauk to the Moriches. The long-time incumbent, Legislator Jay Schneiderman, is registered in the Independence patty and also is running on the Democrat and Working Families lines.

He’s opposed by Southampton Town Councilman Chris Nuzzi, running on the Republican and Conservative tickets.

Our choice for reelection is Mr. Schneiderman. He is an experienced, knowledgeable and able legislator who understands the concerns of Shelter Island. He’s proven that by writing and promoting a law that directs the county’s vector control, active in preventing the spread of mosquito-borne illnesses, to take a role — for the first time — in helping control the public health crisis of tick-borne diseases.

Mr. Schneiderman deserves to be reelected.