Election 2025: The Suffolk Times’ endorsements: Southold Town Board

Southold Town faces a housing crisis it has yet to solve, development pressures that continue to mount, and a demographic decline threatening year-round communities from Fishers Island to across the North Fork. The six candidates vying for three Town Board seats know the problems well — but solutions remain elusive.

With so much at stake for our community’s future, this election matters. The next Town Board will shape how and if young families can afford to stay here, how the town responds to development pressures, and whether Southold preserves its character as a year-round community or becomes a seasonal playground. We need leaders willing to act decisively, not just talk about problems.

The races will fill seats vacated by Democratic Councilman Greg Doroski and Republican Councilwoman/Justice Louisa Evans of Fishers Island. Incumbent Democrat Brian Mealy seeks another term. The board currently has a 4-2 Democratic majority.

Mr. Mealy deserves credit for improving transparency and board meeting tone over his four years in office. He has advanced the zoning update and championed irrigation legislation to protect the aquifer. But his first term reveals persistent gaps between aspiration and execution. His approach favors process over results at a time when Southold needs decisive action and the willingness to make difficult trade-offs he has yet to demonstrate.

Republican Nicholas Planamento presents impressive credentials — vice chairman of the Zoning Board of Appeals, service on multiple town boards, and 25 years as a Southold resident.

Yet Mr. Planamento speaks philosophy when voters need policy. Asked about affordable housing, he offers only generalities about “a bigger initiative to establish a varied type of housing.”

Chemist Stephanie Hall, seeking the Fishers Island seat, brings deep island roots — 33 years as a full-time resident — and compellingly identifies the demographic crisis: 550 residents when she arrived, now just 230.

However, the Republican’s proposals amount largely to forming committees and developing strategic plans — process without policy. What specific housing types does she support? What jobs could realistically be created on an island reached only by ferry?

Her rival for the Fishers Island seat is Democrat Kate Stevens, who brings a unique skill set to the race. The licensed architect has been elected twice to lead the island’s Waste Management District, proving she can win votes and manage complex operations.

Combined with her volunteer service on multiple island committees and as museum executive director, Ms. Stevens has demonstrated both technical expertise and community commitment. Her focus on improving communication between Fishers Island and the mainland addresses a real problem — the island’s isolation has disadvantaged the community in its relationship with town government.

Republican Chris Talbot offers practical assets other candidates lack, including a previous stint on the Town Board from 2009 to 2013. His current work as Southampton Village’s senior building and zoning inspector gives him a front-row perspective on the development pressures heading to Southold. His 18 years in the Mattituck Fire Department and service as Cutchogue fire commissionerdemonstrate sustained community commitment. His previous experience on the Town Board means he understands how the board functions.

Mr. Talbot shows honest thinking about trade-offs — opposing short-term rentals despite recognizing residents’ income needs, proposing tiny homes for farmworker housing and supporting public-private partnerships. His Southampton experience translating South Fork lessons to North Fork realities could prove valuable.

Democrat Alexa Suess also brings a perspective Southold needs most: that of a young, working-class resident struggling with the affordability crisis firsthand. At 31, the Greenport business owner speaks authentically for a generation being priced out of their hometown. Her proposals show real homework — the Pro-Housing Community designation would unlock state funding without raising taxes, her call for stricter short-term rental caps addresses housing stock conversion, and her support for “missing middle” developments reflects understanding of what might work here.

She lacks government experience, but the housing crisis demands voices like hers at the table. Her passion and specific policy knowledge outweigh her inexperience.

Southold needs leaders who will act decisively on housing, stand firm against inappropriate development and preserve community character while allowing sensible growth.

We believe the choices are clear: Chris Talbot, Kate Stevens and Alexa Suess offer the best combination of practical development expertise, island representation and housing advocacy.