S.H. Supervisor’s Race: Anna Throne-Holst

Incumbent Supervisor Anna Throne–Holst has been in office for almost two years. She is running with the official endorsements of both the Democratic Party and the Independence Party on the election day ballot. In a recent interview for Dan’s Papers she was very forthcoming.

First asked about her candidacy for re-election and why it is important she get re-elected as Southampton Supervisor Throne–Holst said, “It is important I get re-elected to maintain the new level of financial management, oversight and controls. My time on the Town Board and as Supervisor has been primarily focused on righting the financial missteps and mess of the past, and when I as a newly-elected Councilwoman I began scrutinizing then current practices and accounting history, and six weeks into that term I called for the first forensic audit. We have completed 11 in the time since, and importantly, addressed and corrected a majority of the findings. Further, the standard I have set for transparency and public inclusion in the legislative process, is both entirely new to the Town of Southampton. And knowing how hard old habits are to change, unless I have the opportunity to keep these new practices going and stay vigilant over the process of revisiting past policies and procedures, I believe much of the work accomplished over the last couple of years will be for naught. For example, new Planned Development District legislation and process, multiple environmental and sustainability efforts, working with government on all levels through spearheading the Regional Clean Water Coalition, taxpayer supportive Union contracts, extensive reorganization and efficiency efforts to reduce costs and improve service—are a few examples of new ways of working and representing, I have brought to the Town Board.” [expand]

To the question of why this election is important to the Southampton Town and who she thought should be elected to the Town Board Throne-Holst said, “The Town of Southampton is truly at a fork in the road politically and in terms of what the four Town Board candidates represent. The difference is so significant that our Town will, without a doubt, continue to move forward with an agenda of representing the needs and wants of its constituents, sound and professional financial management and budgeting, an end to cronyism and support limited to those who have political chips to cash in, if Brad Bender and Bridget Fleming serve the Board and the Town. The complete juxtaposition represented by the current majority where lockstep representation for only a small fraction of people and party loyalist, is and will be what continues to plague our Town. They have earned a well deserved reputation for being a carbon copy of what we are seeing on the national level—as party centric and dysfunctional in trying to problem solve and pro-actively represent our needs—as what we are seeing played out in Congress, etc.”

When asked about the difficulty of being Supervisor of Southampton in the minority, with only two Democrats to three Republicans and the Republicans not even putting up an “official candidate for Supervisor, Throne-Holst being perhaps diplomatic said, “Fred Thiele likes to say that of the various legislative positions he has held, being Town Supervisor was by far the hardest. I attribute that to the fact that it requires 24/7 hands-on, both managerial, financial, and legislative commitment and know-how. I think the Republicans were unable to find a candidate with the ability and willingness to step up at this time.” Eventually the conversation came around to Throne–Holst’s only opponent, Linda Kabot. Throne–Holst was expansive about the mess in which she believed Kabot and the Republicans left the town, making Throne–Holst’s election possible two years ago. On this question she wanted to be quoted saying, “Her (Linda Kabot) very last minute entry in to the fray, without following due process like the rest of us, and not doing what it takes to get on the ballot—despite ample opportunity to do so—and running without the support of her or any other party’s support, only raises questions around her true motives.”

Supervisor Throne–Holst is a registered Independent, two years ago she received well over of 60% of the vote against then incumbent Republican Supervisor Linda Kabot.