Dispute in Shelter Island Democratic Committee leads to shakeup: An early start to election season

There’s a been reshuffling in the Shelter Island Democratic Committee, with two members — Katherine Doroski and Mark Mobius — opting to quit their seats over a decision by the rest of the Committee to endorse a slate of candidates for the November election.

Both said they preferred to cross-endorse some candidates and thought it was appropriate to bow out if they couldn’t support the entire Democratic slate.

A third committee member, Barrie Silver, remains, but said she has “very strong opposition” to the process of selecting nominees for office and said there was “undo outside influence” on decisions. She declined to expand on her statement.

Democratic Committee Chairwoman Catherine “Cat” Brigham said she respects the decisions by Ms. Doroski and Mr. Mobius to leave, while mentioning that there have been times when she was out-voted by other Committee members, but chose to remain as chairwoman.

On the advice of the Suffolk County Democratic Committee, and with a vote by the local Committee, Lynne Weickart was chosen to fill one of the seats. The Democratic Committee will fill the other open slot in the same way.

Ms. Doroski said she opted to resign at the end of January because she was “frustrated” by staying on a Committee where she would be expected to support some Democratic candidates, when she favored cross-endorsing one or more incumbent Republicans.

Michael Reiter is the candidate for Highway Superintendent that the Democrats are supporting, as revealed in a list of the slate provided by Ms. Brigham Monday. Mr. Mobius said he wanted to cross-endorse current Highway Superintendent Ken Lewis Jr. 

Mr. Lewis has drawn criticism from neighbors of the Recycling Center over policy changes he’s made there. One involved opening the gate to the office on Bowditch Road that has by agreement for 20 years been kept locked, requiring all traffic to enter the Recycling Center on North Menantic Road. Bowditch RoadnNeighbors are concerned about too much traffic on their street.

Another decision was made by Mr. Lewis to close the area where “pickers” could retrieve construction and demolition materials that had been discarded.

Mr. Lewis said he was closing because it was posing safety issues for workers and the pickers. Residents fought back against a proposal to move items to another area where they could be safely retrieved, Mr. Lewis said. But the pickers said they know what they want and having items chosen for them wouldn’t do.

Mr. Lewis is an elected official as Highway Superintendent, but as with his predecessors, his role as Public Works Commissioner is appointed and those who objected to his policies fought unsuccessfully to have the Town Board appoint someone else to that job.

Ms. Doroski said she believes she can do more good without being a Committee member. “I gave it my all. I generally tried,” she said about working to remain on the Committee.

Newly-minted Councilman Gordon Gooding plans another run for supervisor with incumbent Republican Supervisor Amber Brach-Williams confirming she intends to seek another two-year  term. Had Mr. Gooding opted to extend his Town Board tenure as a councilman, he would have had to run for his own four-year term.

The year he will have spent as a councilman will equal the time that seat was vacant because of Ms. Brach-Williams being elected supervisor.

Greg Toner,  a current member of the Water Quality Improvement Advisory Board and the Water Advisory Committee, is the Democrats’ choice for Mr. Gooding’s current seat. Republican Deputy Supervisor Meg Larsen confirmed she will seek another four-year Town Board term.

Community Housing Board Chairwoman Elizabeth Hanley, a member of the Democratic Committee, has announced she will run for a Town Board seat on the Democratic Committee.

Democrats are endorsing Shelby Mundy as their candidate for Town Clerk, facing off against incumbent Amber Wilson. If she wins the seat and Ms. Brach-Williams is re-elected, it could pose a challenge for the supervisor who has been training Ms. Mundy to handle much of the financial work she handled for the three supervisors she served in years past.

Republican Tom Cronin, who twice ran but failed to secure a Town Board seat, confirmed he is considering another run. Of the previous campaigns, he said in both cases he had other candidates pulling votes away from him, citing former councilman Paul Shepherd running the first time and Lisa Shaw running as an independent last time.

If he opts to run, it would be with the idea the third time would be the charm.

Ms. Shaw said she sees no opportunity for an independent to secure enough support at this time and would only enter a race for a Town Board seat if Mr. Cronin decided not to run.