Tag: Water Quality

  • Rich Carozza Puts Experience, Housing and Water Infrastructure at Center of Southampton Supervisor Campaign

    Rich Carozza Puts Experience, Housing and Water Infrastructure at Center of Southampton Supervisor Campaign

    Rich Carozza is making experience and municipal problem-solving central themes of his campaign for Southampton Town Supervisor, laying out an agenda that focuses on several of the Town’s persistent challenges: housing affordability, water quality, infrastructure and the way major projects are handled at Town Hall.

    Carozza’s campaign website identifies him as the Southampton Republican Committee’s nominee for supervisor in the November 2026 election, where he is challenging incumbent Supervisor Maria Z. Moore. Southampton Town’s official website confirms Moore currently serves as supervisor. 

    Rather than centering his campaign on a single issue, Carozza is presenting his professional background as part of his case for the job.

    According to his campaign, Carozza has more than 35 years of involvement in Long Island politics and experience in real estate development and financial services. The campaign says his work has included financial planning, capital formation, real estate management and site development, along with experience working with municipal officials on land-use, zoning and development matters. It also states that he holds a master’s degree in public administration from LIU Post. Those biographical details are campaign-provided. 

    His policy platform concentrates heavily on development and infrastructure.

    On housing, Carozza proposes increasing housing supply, supporting workforce housing for Town residents and using Town assets and financial tools to address affordability. His platform also singles out Hampton Bays for economic-development initiatives, infrastructure investment and additional parking solutions. 

    Water quality is another major component. Carozza is proposing the development of three sewer districts — East, Central and West — as part of a broader effort to reduce nitrogen entering local waters. His campaign argues that expanded sewer infrastructure could help address pollution associated with harmful algal blooms, low oxygen levels and habitat degradation. 

    Carozza is also calling for changes in how major Town projects and expenditures are presented to residents. His campaign proposes public-comment opportunities related to project spending, additional disclosure regarding project goals and implementation, and what it describes as a stronger requirement for public support before major expenditures move forward. 

    The office he is seeking carries substantial administrative and financial authority. Under Southampton Town’s description of the position, the supervisor serves as the Town’s chief administrative and fiscal officer, presides over Town Board meetings and participates as a voting member of the board. 

    That makes the 2026 supervisor contest a decision not simply over personalities but competing approaches to managing Town government and addressing growth, housing and infrastructure.

    For Carozza, the campaign’s initial pitch is clear: his professional and governmental experience, combined with an infrastructure-focused agenda, is what he wants Southampton voters to consider as the race develops.

    Learn more about his campaign here: https://www.richcarozza.com/

  • Romaine Puts Public Safety, Taxes and Suffolk’s Future at Center of State of the County

    Romaine Puts Public Safety, Taxes and Suffolk’s Future at Center of State of the County

    SUFFOLK COUNTY — Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine used his 2026 State of the County address to lay out an agenda centered on public safety, fiscal restraint, infrastructure, environmental protection and what he described as the long-term quality of life of Suffolk County residents.

    Suffolk News Now attended the address and heard Romaine outline a series of priorities that touched nearly every major area of county government.

    Among the biggest announcements was Romaine’s call for a new Suffolk County Police Department headquarters in Yaphank, near the department’s existing facility. He argued that the current building was never designed to serve as a modern police headquarters and said the county needs a facility capable of supporting present-day law-enforcement operations.

    The proposal is part of a broader public-safety agenda Romaine highlighted throughout the speech.

    He spoke in support of strengthening law enforcement, increasing staffing where needed and continuing to invest in technology, equipment and county resources tied to policing, corrections and probation.

    Romaine also pushed back against calls to reduce the role of police and correctional institutions, framing his administration’s approach as one focused on maintaining public safety while improving the systems that support it.

    No Increase in County General Taxes

    Affordability was another major theme.

    Romaine said Suffolk County residents should not expect an increase in county general taxes next year, positioning fiscal restraint as a central part of his administration’s approach.

    That pledge comes as Long Island residents continue to face high housing, utility and property-tax costs.

    The county portion of a homeowner’s total property-tax bill is only one component, but Romaine emphasized that Suffolk County government should avoid adding to those pressures wherever possible.

    New Investments in Public Safety and County Services

    Romaine also highlighted plans involving the county’s medical examiner’s office, crime laboratory and environmental laboratory.

    He said Suffolk needs modern facilities capable of handling the county’s growing forensic, public-health and environmental testing responsibilities.

    Those investments are expected to support both criminal investigations and efforts to identify environmental threats, including contaminants that could affect drinking water.

    The speech also touched on child welfare.

    Romaine said New York State has approved Suffolk County to create a child welfare review board, and he described protecting children as one of government’s most important responsibilities.

    Water Quality and Sewer Expansion

    Environmental issues remained a significant part of the address.

    Romaine spoke about Suffolk’s continued reliance on cesspools and septic systems and the need to expand sewer infrastructure in areas where wastewater has contributed to water-quality problems.

    He pointed to ongoing and planned sewer projects in communities including Holbrook, Oakdale and Smithtown.

    For a county surrounded by water and heavily dependent on its underground aquifer, Romaine presented wastewater infrastructure as both an environmental and economic issue.

    He also discussed preserving farmland, protecting working waterfronts and continuing county investment in open space.

    Parks, Transportation and Infrastructure

    Romaine said Suffolk should continue improving its extensive county park system, including upgrades to electrical service, Wi-Fi and camping facilities.

    Transportation was another focus.

    He called for improvements to public transit and greater use of rail freight as a way to reduce the number of trucks traveling on Suffolk County roads.

    That proposal reflects one of the broader challenges facing the county: moving people and goods across a geographically large region while reducing congestion and pressure on local infrastructure.

    Looking Ahead

    The State of the County address gave Romaine an opportunity to define what he sees as Suffolk’s priorities for the coming year.

    His message combined traditional county responsibilities such as policing, public health and infrastructure with longer-term concerns over affordability, environmental protection and the county’s ability to retain working families.

    For residents, the most immediate takeaway may be the tax pledge.

    For county government, however, Romaine laid out a much broader agenda: modernize public-safety infrastructure, expand sewer systems, protect natural resources, improve parks and transportation and continue investing in the services he says are necessary to keep Suffolk County viable for future generations.

  • John Carson Sets September 15 Fundraiser in Westhampton Beach for Southampton Trustee Campaign

    John Carson Sets September 15 Fundraiser in Westhampton Beach for Southampton Trustee Campaign

    By East End Now | Auxio.tv News

    John Carson’s campaign for Southampton Town Trustee is moving into the fall with a September fundraiser in Westhampton Beach.

    The event, billed as “An Evening with John Carson,” is scheduled for Tuesday, September 15, from 6 to 9 p.m. at VFW Post 5350, 101 Old Riverhead Road in Westhampton Beach.

    Admission is $50 per person and includes light fare, with a cash bar.

    Carson is running for Southampton Town Trustee, a board with unusually broad responsibility over the Town’s waterways, marshes, shorelines and underwater lands. The Trustees oversee more than 25,000 acres and have authority involving public water access, surface-water quality, docks and bulkheads, and commercial shellfish and finfish harvests. 

    His campaign has emphasized working-waterfront experience, water quality, public access and protection of open space.

    The September event comes as the race begins to move beyond the introductory stage and into the period when candidates typically focus more heavily on voter outreach, fundraising and building their campaign organizations.

    For Carson, the location also fits the geography of his message.

    Westhampton Beach sits close to many of the bays, creeks and waterfront areas that fall within the Trustees’ stewardship, making the event a natural setting for a campaign centered on Southampton’s marine resources.

    Campaign materials say checks should be made payable to Citizens for John Carson. The event notice also states that use of VFW Post 5350 as the venue does not imply endorsement by the VFW.

    More information about Carson’s campaign or to donate to the fundraiser visit jcfortrustee.com.

    East End Now — Your East End. Your News.