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Mattituck business owner Greg Williams will run as a Republican for Suffolk County Legislature

Greg Williams, who served on the Southold Town Board of Trustees and ran unsuccessfully for Southold Town Board in 2021, announced Tuesday he is a Republican candidate for a seat in the  Suffolk County Legislature, which will represent Shelter Island.

Mr. Williams, the owner of Country Time Cycle in Mattituck, said in a release that if elected to the legislature he will focus on traffic solutions, land preservation and revamping the permit process.

Last month, the Suffolk County Republican Committee formally nominated Catherine Stark as its candidate for the 1st District seat, which includes the Island. The Democratic Party nominated former Riverhead Town councilwoman Catherine Kent for the seat.

Running as a Republican, Mr. Williams will first have to run a primary against Ms. Stark. The 1st District seat became open when Legis. Al Krupski (D-Peconic) said he would run for Southold Town supervisor in the fall election. Ms. Stark served as an aide to Mr. Krupski for 10 years.

In his announcement, Mr. Williams said that open space preservation “is the key to our future success. It’s fairly easy to understand that people come to visit and live in our area because it offers a quality of life and unique geography that is unavailable nearly anywhere else. Unconstrained development is a short-sighted money grab. If we lose that which makes us unique – our beautiful land, waterways and open space accessible to all – then we lose everything.”

As for traffic issues, Mr. Williams said, if elected, he would urge different municipal agencies “to smoothly coordinate with one another so that when traffic moves from one area of jurisdiction to another, a structured effort with efficient communication and execution can be put in place so that the virtual gridlock we often experience during the busy seasons will become a thing of the past.”

As for his goal to revamp the permit process, he said many business opportunities that could produce good jobs have been abandoned because of an onerous permit process at all levels of government.

He cited his involvement in many local organizations, such as the Cub Scouts, Little League, CAST and Maureen’s Haven.

“I feel it’s every person’s obligation to contribute to the greater good of the community, even if it seems small,” he said. “Publicly elected officials are and should remain public servants, which all too often gets lost in today’s political environment.”