Election 2021: Southold Town Board candidates
TOWN BOARD
FOUR-YEAR TERM | SALARY: $37,598
GREG DOROSKI
Hamlet: Mattituck
Occupation: Innovations director
Party lines: Democratic, Working Families
About him: Mr. Doroski, 41, was born and raised in Mattituck, where he and his wife, Liz, are raising their daughters. He is a graduate of Mattituck High School and earned a B.A. in philosophy. He helped found, build and manage a multi-million-dollar brewery and is currently innovations director at Greenport Harbor Brewing Co. He’s also a deacon at Southold Presbyterian Church, a congregation his ancestors helped establish in 1640.
His pitch: Mr. Doroski said he is running for Town Board to serve and strengthen the community. In 2019, he ran for supervisor and came within 117 votes of “restoring leadership in this town.” The issues that existed then, he noted, are more urgent today: the absence of vision and planning, the lack of transparency and accountability, the missed opportunities. He said he will take action on our most pressing challenges: a changing climate, unchecked growth and development, community housing, deer and ticks, traffic and public safety. Our way of life hangs in the balance, he said.
In his words: “As councilperson, I will fight to immediately implement the Comprehensive Plan and execute a long-overdue overhaul of our zoning code to promote a strong and vibrant community. I will fight to protect and strengthen our unique environment. I will fight for good jobs and housing opportunities. I will work across party lines to bring business owners, farmers, fishermen and the public together as partners in our future.”
BRIAN MEALY
Hamlet: Mattituck
Occupation: Library clerk
Party lines: Democratic, Working Families
About him: Mr. Mealy, 43, is a lifelong Mattituck resident who was twice elected to the Mattituck-Cutchogue school board and currently serves as a member of the ESBOCES board, the Suffolk County Sheriff Department Citizen’s Advisory Board, the Southold Rotary and the Southold Justice Review & Reform Task Force. In 2018, he was honored with the Helen Wright Prince Award for community service from the Southold Town Anti-Bias Task Force.
His pitch: Mr. Mealy said he has experience working to protect Long Island’s farms and the East End environment. He said he is running because residents are “calling loud and clear for competent, effective local government and leadership responsive to the needs of all Southolders.” In his roles with the school board and ESBOCES board, he said he has worked toward increased diversity and inclusion, consensus-building and making informed policy decisions. He said he believes it is his duty and responsibility to work for the good of the community and continue on the path of public service that his parents, Dorothy and Otha, set him on.
In his words: “If elected, I will bring transparency and accountability to town government, embrace fact-based decision making, support our local businesses, improve outreach to our young people and seniors, and protect our vibrant and crucial estuary.”
ANTHONY SANNINO
Hamlet: Cutchogue
Occupation: Winery owner/winemaker/vineyard manager/general contractor
Party lines: Republican, Conservative
About him: Mr. Sannino, 53, was raised in western Suffolk and has been moving eastward since he married his wife, Lisa, 28 years ago. Frequent visits east are how they found their current vineyard property in Cutchogue, where they built their home. He and his wife have four children, all of whom attended the Mattituck-Cutchogue School District. During the last 15 years, his career as a full-time general contractor has slowed to less than part-time while he and his wife have developed their vineyard/winery and bed & breakfast businesses.
His pitch: Mr. Sannino said he is an “extremely self-driven and highly motivated person” who has formal education in construction engineering and architecture and less formal education in viticulture and oenology. He currently serves on the Southold Town agricultural advisory committee. He is an immediate past president of the Long Island Wine Council, treasurer of the North Fork Bed and Breakfast Association and a current member of the Long Island Farm Bureau. He said he is self-employed, has had several thriving businesses for most of his life and has gained experience and knowledge to effectively manage staff. His business experience and volunteer positions, he noted, have given him opportunities to interact with local, county and state officials.
In his words: “My passion is to support our agricultural community through existing efforts of land preservation while implementing additional measures to incentivize farmers to continue farming their land. I feel I am prepared and extremely qualified at this time in my life to represent and serve the community of Southold Town.”
Greg Williams
Hamlet: Cutchogue
Occupation: Owner, Country Time Cycle; Southold Town Trustee
Party lines: Republican, Conservative
About him: Mr. Williams, 49, grew up in Mattituck and graduated from Mattituck High School. He and his wife have two children in the Mattituck-Cutchogue School District. He has owned Country Time Cycle for 26 years. He said he believes in community involvement and has coached youth sports. He said he supports many local charitable organizations, is a former member of the Conservation Advisory Council and is a current town Trustee.
His pitch: As a lifelong North Forker, Mr. Williams said, he recognizes that the value of Southold lies not in the scenic waters and fields, but in its people. That is what makes it truly special and worth protecting, he said. He said he loves Southold, past and present, and understands why it has attracted so many new residents. That new growth brings inevitable change and how it is managed is critical to our future, he said. The town needs experienced, proactive leadership that is strongly committed to success for all and takes fiscal responsibility very seriously, he said.
In his words: “I care about the people of Southold. All of them. I believe that I can do even more to help our community. I will always have your best interests in mind. I look forward to working to continue to safeguard our quality of life.”
