Featured Story

Dougherty, Card seek reelection, Colligan challenges for board seat

COURTESY PHOTO | Democrat Jim Colligan is running for a seat on the Town Board.
COURTESY PHOTO |
Democrat Jim Colligan is running for a seat on the Town Board.

The campaign season officially opened Tuesday on Shelter Island with the Democrats announcing their slate of candidates for the November election.

Supervisor Jim Dougherty will seek reelection for a fifth term, a decision he pointed to in a recent Reporter Island profile by feature writer Charity Robey.

Commissioner of Pubic Works and Highway Superintendent Jay Card Jr., who had been on the fence about seeking a third term, also threw his hat in the ring to be reelected. Mr. Card said he had unfinished business he wanted to achieve and would continue to maintain his fundamental position on the department that it is underfunded

Jim Colligan, 67, president of the Silver Beach Association and vice president of the Shelter Island Association, will run for one of two seats on the Town Board currently held by Councilmen Paul Shepherd and Peter Reich.

Mr. Colligan said he believed he had “a lot to offer” and wanted to work on important issues, such as the Island’s water quality, deer and tick issues and the overall infrastructure of the Island, “which has been sorely neglected.”

Mr. Colligan said he was “a team player, not afraid of hard work and never goes into anything with pre- conceived notions.”

He wanted to be part of “a more decisive” board, he said.

Also on the Democratic slate are Quinn Karpeh and B.J. Ianfolla for Assessor. Incumbent Annemarie Seddio for Receiver of Taxes will seek reelection.

The leader of the Shelter Island Democrats, Heather Reylek, said Wednesday, “These candidates are very experienced, highly qualified Islanders. Our committee looks forward to this campaign.”