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Candidates’ forum set for Sunday

 

BEVERLEA WALZ PHOTO Republican candidate Amber Brach-Williams, left, is challenging Democratic Councilwoman Mary Dudley for a seat on the Town Board this November. They meet Sunday at a forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Shelter Island and the Shelter Island Association
BEVERLEA WALZ PHOTO
Republican candidate Amber Brach-Williams, left, is challenging Democratic Councilwoman Mary Dudley for a seat on the Town Board on November 8. They meet Sunday at a forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Shelter Island and the Shelter Island Association

While it has certainly been a raucous political year nationally, there is an important local election — a single race on the Island for a Town Board seat.
Incumbent Mary Dudley, a Democrat, will face off with Amber Williams, a Republican, at a forum Sunday sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Shelter Island and the Shelter Island Association.

Ms. Dudley was appointed as a councilwoman after Ed Brown decided not to remain on the Town Board, making his announcement too late last fall for there to be an election for the seat.

Both Ms. Dudley and Ms. Williams were among those who expressed interest in the seat, along with seven others who were interviewed for the post.

Ms. Dudley was chosen in December 2015 and took her seat on January 1.

Sunday’s forum at the Shelter Island School Auditorium begins at 1 p.m. and will last two hours.

The first hour will be devoted to questions put to the two candidates. League treasurer Kathleen Minder will serve as moderator.

The second hour will be a discussion of the referendum that will appear on the November ballot dealing with extending the life of the Community Preservation Fund to 2050 from 2030. A majority approval of the referendum could allow those on the Committee Preservation Committee here to allot up to 20 percent of CPF revenues collected  to be used for specific projects aimed at protecting water resources.

The money that feeds the fund comes from a 2 percent tax new property purchasers pay and since 1999 has been used only to purchase and preserve open space.

Each of the five East End towns will have similar resolutions on their ballots in November, allowing each municipality to make its own decision about whether to continue to require that 100 percent of the CPF money be used for land preservation or to allow up to 20 percent of the money to be diverted to water protection.

Town Engineer John Cronin Jr. and assessor B.J. Ianfolla will be panelists for that discussion to be moderated by League member Cathy Kenny.

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