Island Profile: Amber Brach-Williams, running to make a difference at Town Hall

Amber Brach-Williams, a seven-year veteran of Town Board and the Republican candidate for Town Supervisor, is known for her aura of reason and rationality. But when it comes to the decision to run for public office, she goes with her gut.

In 2015, she was one of nine people being considered to complete the term of Councilman Ed Brown, who had stepped down. The Town Board picked another candidate, and the experience convinced Amber to let the voters do the picking.

She ran for the seat a few months later, won, and was soon named deputy supervisor. “Throw me to the wolves and I’ll come back leading the pack,” she said.

Amber is an alumni of a prestigious New York accounting firm with a graduate degree from Wharton, and a thriving accounting practice (which she plans to give up if she becomes Supervisor). An Island resident since her 30s, she’s the mother of two children, Ivy and Felicity, raised and schooled here.

She served on the School Board, and is treasurer for the Fire District; she also is a member of the Chamber of Commerce, a Trustee of Our Lady of the Isle, and has served as chair of the Republican Committee.

Her style is to work from facts and science in making decisions for the Town, she said. In her first term on the Town Board, she said she focused on the town budget so the Board could better understand the ramifications of changes to the budget.  “We needed to be able to know what the impact of a change would be, the percentage increase or decrease based on the action,” Amber said. “All budget questions come to me.”

In the middle of her first term on the Board, the pandemic came to town. “COVID really threw a monkey wrench into getting things done,” she said. “We were just super-focused for months on figuring out how to keep Town Hall running.”

If the famously-independent citizens of Shelter Island ever doubted the importance of local government, those doubts were vanquished during the emergency days of the pandemic. Cut off on an island with no hospital, no urgent care and local doctors who were forced to administer tests in the parking lot of the Medical Center, rumors flew about how many cases there were, where they came from, and how local seniors could get vaccinated in time.

“The Emergency Management Team was Gerry Siller, Chief Read, and me. The three of us were on the state calls, the county calls, the East End Mayors and supervisors, and Suffolk County mayors and Supervisors. Occasionally a federal authority would hop on.” 

In addition to playing a key role in getting all eligible and willing Shelter Islanders vaccinated as soon as possible, Amber communicated with the Shelter Island business community about employee well-being during COVID, including the constantly-shifting safety protocols and time off.

Her decision to run for Supervisor was also emotionally fraught. Amber, whose marriage to former Supervisor Art Williams ended amicably in 2016, was dating a childhood friend who wanted her to move back to Rochester and marry him.

Four years older than Amber, they had met when he was 18 and she was 14. He had married a woman who died about 10 years ago, and got back in touch with Amber after losing his wife saying, “I always liked you.” 

“I was thinking of uprooting myself,” she said. “But here, I’m liked, respected, and known. And then, in the middle of that, he died.”

It was June 2022, and her world turned upside down.

“I was just in limbo for a while,” she remembered. “I’m only 61. Having Brad die was a reminder that life is short, and you can’t predict what’s going to happen.” She decided in January of 2023 to run for Supervisor.

According to Amber, there are two people who can get under her skin: her sister (“She has been doing it for 60 years”) and from time to time, her former husband, Art Williams, who is currently a Republican candidate for Town Board. While living in the same small town together after being divorced, they’ve successfully co-parented their daughters through college.

“The fact is, I’ve been deputy supervisor for two supervisors; a Republican and a Democrat. I think they both understood that I know what’s going on,” she said. Running as a Republican, Amber said she sees many of the issues that divide the parties at the state and national level, but are less relevant on the local level. 

“Everyone wants to keep taxes down,” she said. “Small government is what everybody wants. Maintaining property rights, clean water and the environment are things that people come together on.”

The most pressing issues before the Town, she added, are, “Water in — water out, and having affordable housing. We talk about water and we’ve done small, incremental things, but we haven’t addressed the red triangle, the area in the Center with high nitrates. We sent out 450 cards asking people to test and got 166 back. The data will help us assess. Some people still don’t think it’s an issue.”

Amber wants more affordable housing built, and sees how one person’s definition of high-density development might be at odds with others. She’d like to see these decisions made based on science; for example, what the hydrology report says about the effects on neighboring properties.

“I can get along with people who don’t agree with me. Maybe we can build two units, but I’d like it to be four units,” Amber said. “I don’t consider that high density.”

An issue for some voters is the perceived lack of openness and incivility on the part of the Town Board at meetings.

“I know that some people want to paint me with the same brush, but when I’m in charge and running a meeting, you see a different dynamic,” she said. “It’s calmer. Nobody is yelling at each other. Everyone gets their turn, with three minutes to make their first point, and then everyone else gets three minutes. Then, if you need time to make a second point, you get another three minutes and another three if you have a third point. Three minutes is a good sound bite. When everyone has spoken on a topic, I ask if anyone has any new points to make. This keeps the meeting length reasonable.”

Amber said the best outcomes happen when Board members interact with others who hold differing views. “Looking back to when I first served, Paul Shepherd saw things differently from me, but legislatively, he was the best of any Town Board member.” 

She remembers getting to Town Hall early to prepare for the work sessions, and she and Shepherd went over issues they didn’t agree on. “I’d say, O.K., well how about if we do this … and he’d toss the ball back to me.” By the time the meeting started, she said, they had already found a basis for legislation they could both get behind.

Lightning Round- Amber Brach-Williams

What do you always have with you?

My iPad is always at hand, but I use a paper day planner. I have ever since COVID.

Favorite place on Shelter Island?

Mashomack.

Favorite place not on Shelter Island?

Rochester. Most of my family is there.

When was the last time you were elated?

Felicity’s commencement.

What exasperates you?

There are not enough hours in the day.

Favorite sports/teams?

Buffalo Bills.

Favorite food?

Sausage egg and cheese with hot sauce and mayo at The Islander.

Most respected elected official?

Ken Lavalle. Retired now, he was in government for many years, very passionate, very devoted. He gave me good advice when I first ran for office.