Ed Brown looks back
To say that Councilman Ed Brown plays his cards close to the vest might be an understatement.
A Town Board colleague heard from friends of Mr. Brown and his wife, Cheryl, who had had dinner with the Brown’s Monday night, less than 24 hours before Mr. Brown surprised everyone by announcing he would resign his seat. “He didn’t mention a word about resigning” to his friends, the colleague said.
He told his fellow board members — in executive session — after the public work session Tuesday that he was bowing out with two years left in his term effective December 31 “for personal reasons.” The same information was in a letter to the Reporter Mr. Brown hand-delivered immediately after informing his colleagues.
Speaking later in the week, he said he wouldn’t expand on his motivations to leave pubic office after serving 15 years on the Town Board. But to scotch rumors running around town, he wanted it known that he and his wife Cheryl are in fine health.
“I’ll be continuing in real estate sales, property management and keeping my options open,” Mr. Brown said.
There had been questions why Mr. Brown decided to inform his fellow board members of his decision in executive, or private, session. Speaking with the Reporter, Mr. Brown said he chose privacy to be sure of the correct protocol for resigning.
“I felt if I was missing something I wanted to see if December 31 was right for the situation,” he said. “I wanted to go out gracefully — the right way.”
Asked to judge his greatest accomplishments, he mentioned leading the fight against the construction of an electrical substation, preserving Taylor’s Island and Ram Island and Shell Beach restoration projects, while holding taxes to reasonable levels and still “providing appropriate services.”
The most difficult part of the job is also, in some ways the most satisfactory, Mr. Brown said. “My nature is to try and get along with people,” he said. “There’s a lot of friction at times, and that becomes difficult. But you have to stand by your beliefs.”
The art of compromise is essential, he said. “You need three votes to get anything done,” he added, noting that the board has five members. “You have to be a motivator using your own style.”
Staying close with colleagues and keeping lines of communications open is important to get things done. “There’s only a couple of hours a week in the boardroom, but there’s a bigger week than that,” he added.
Looking to the future, Mr. Brown sees “a tremendous opportunity in front of us” regionally, by aligning with other East End municipalities in the Peconic Bay area to distribute funds for wastewater treatment. He also is on board with a plan to take a portion — as high as 30 percent — of Community Preservation Fund money to use for clean water issues.
The CPF is a program that takes 2 percent of real estate transfers and, at present, is used solely to purchase and maintain open space acquisitions.
“I’ve always supported open space,” Mr. Brown said. “But sooner or later there’s only so much left here.”
In his 15 years, Mr. Brown said he tried to keep to the idea that “as an elected official you don’t impose your will on the people as every day practice. You absolutely should listen and leave room for the broad needs, concerns and interests of Shelter Island.”
Like many residents, Mr. Brown sees change coming and not all of it is good. “One of the Island’s biggest strengths is its diversity and how it can come together to help with community projects, individuals or families in need,” he said. “I wouldn’t like to see big ideas with large expenditures, including some being sold as doomsday projects, turn our jewel of an Island into an elitist private club between two ferries.”
Doomsday projects, Mr. Brown explained, are proposals that are rolled out for funding with the warning that if they’re not undertaken, the sky will fall.
He’ll stay active in public affairs, he said, and as a private citizen won’t be a stranger to Town Hall. “I won’t be driving by throwing hand grenades, but you might see me stopping by,” Mr. Brown said.
