At 31, Suess brings youthful voice to Southold housing crisis

Alexa Suess’ election to the Southold Town Board ushers in a youth movement as local residents face critical issues — namely, the housing crisis that has left many of them unable to afford to live in the area they grew up.

The Democrat — who at 31 became the second youngest person to win a board seat after Josh Horton’s election as Southold supervisor in 2001 at 29 — said representation is “incredibly important” among her peers.

“I know a lot of young people who are still here and are still on the North Fork who want more representation for people their age,” the political newcomer told The Suffolk Times on Monday. “And they want to see issues that they’re concerned about discussed in a greater context.”

The Greenport native, who has owned the jeweler and studio Common Ground in the village for the past decade, championed affordable housing and small businesses across the North Fork throughout her campaign.

She defeated Republican challengers Chris Talbot and Nicholas Planamento with 4,529 votes in the Nov. 4 election, according to unofficial results from the Suffolk County Board of Elections.

When Ms. Suess takes her board seat in January, she aims to advocate for young people, families and Southold’s aging population to achieve progress in the housing arena. 

“We need to make sure to prioritize that over quite a few other things,” she said. 

Ms. Suess supports pending affordable housing development projects like the Carroll Avenue and Love Lane Apartment developments in Peconic and Mattituck, respectively.

She will also push for Southold to accept the state “proposing community” designation, which Greenport Village and East Hampton accepted in the last two years. The designation would give the town access to funding for consultants and data collection that are “key” to addressing the issue.

Town Supervisor Al Krupski, 65, called Ms. Suess’ perspective as a young elected official “an asset.”

“You see things differently when you’re younger and you see things differently at every age of life, and it’s good to have that diversity of age on an elected board,” Mr. Krupski said.

Kathryn Casey Quigley, chair of the Southold Democratic Committee, also celebrated Ms. Suess’ win as a younger resident stepping up to the political plate.

“It is time for generational change in this country. Southold voters showed us that this is just as true right here in our small town as it is in Washington,” Ms. Casey Quigley told The Suffolk Times Tuesday morning. “Alexa knows what it’s like to be trying to live in systems that aren’t working for young people, and her leadership will help and inspire other young people to be the change.”

The 2012 Greenport High School graduate’s perspective on Southold’s changing economic and community landscape is shaped by deep local roots.

“I spent my childhood on the docks while my father worked on boats,” she told The Suffolk Times during a roundtable interview before the election in October. “I look at the docks now, and they’re not filled with 20-foot boats or charter fishing boats. In the case of Greenport, it’s a lot of really, really big yachts.”

Mr. Krupski noted the value small business owners bring to the table with the Town Board.

“They bring a perspective that we need,” he said. “We do encourage small business here. We are the town that banned big box stores and really limited formula food franchises. So we’re the town that’s doing what we can to protect small businesses.”

Another top priority for Ms. Suess will be to “button up” the ongoing comprehensive zoning update. Residents have been weighing in on the revisions at community forums since April.

She also plans to continue the Town Board’s discussions with Southold’s economic development committee to find a path forward for a local small business incubator. She said community-focused projects, like the YMCA forum held in Greenport last Friday, would also receive her energy. 

Ms. Suess has scheduled meetings with dozens of civic leaders to see how best to represent Southold’s interests. 

“Just being invested in everyone’s primary goals, whether that’s environmental protection, whether that’s ensuring everybody has access to food and housing — all of those work together,” she told The Suffolk Times after her victory.

Ms. Suess’ triumph over a pair of Republican challengers gives Democrats a 5-1 majority on the Town Board. She will be joined on the board by fellow Dem and political novice Kate Stevens, 54, who won the Fishers Island seat, along with Mr. Krupski, Anne Smith, 69, and Brian Mealy, 47, after his successful reelection bid.

Jill Doherty, 61, will be the lone Republican.

Mr. Krupski said he is “very encouraged” by the “caliber” of the newly elected officials and what they bring to the table.

“They’re definitely eager to be good public servants,” he said. “We have such a good town here; it’s an extraordinary place.”