WESTHAMPTON BEACH, N.Y. — Southampton Town Trustee candidate John Carson brought together town officials, former trustees, friends, family and community members for a campaign fundraiser at the VFW Hall in Westhampton Beach as he continues his campaign for a seat on the Southampton Town Trustees.
Among those attending were Southampton Town Clerk Sundy Schermeyer, Councilwoman Cyndi McNamara, Councilman Bill Pell, and former Town Trustees Scott Horowitz and Edward Warner Jr. Southampton Town’s official records confirm Schermeyer, McNamara and Pell currently hold their respective town offices; town records also identify Horowitz and Warner as members of the Board of Trustees in the prior term.
Carson used the event to explain why he decided to seek the Trustee position, telling those gathered that he is running to give back to the town he has been both “blessed and lucky to call home for five decades.”
The Southampton Town Trustees have a particularly distinct role in local government because of their responsibilities involving the town’s waterways and related resources, making knowledge of those issues a central theme of the evening.
McNamara offered a personal assessment of Carson, describing him as “an all-around good guy” who genuinely loves his community.
Schermeyer focused on Carson’s familiarity with the issues that would come before the Trustees, saying he is someone who could “hit the ground running” because of his knowledge of what is needed to protect Southampton’s bays and waterways.
Former Trustees Horowitz and Warner also spoke in support of Carson’s candidacy. Both emphasized the importance of electing someone they believe understands Southampton’s waters as well as the responsibilities that come with serving as a Town Trustee.
Their comments centered on the need for the Trustee board to include members with practical knowledge of the waterways and an understanding of the institution itself.
Carson’s campaign has positioned his connection to Southampton and its waters as a central part of his candidacy. At the fundraiser, he tied that experience to a broader message of public service and giving back to the community where he has spent much of his life.
The event also gave Carson an opportunity to meet with residents and supporters as the campaign moves closer to Election Day.
His campaign materials list early voting from October 24 through November 1, with Election Day on Tuesday, November 3.
The fundraiser was ultimately both a campaign event and a gathering of people with long-standing connections to Southampton Town government and the local community.
For Carson, the message of the evening was straightforward: after five decades calling Southampton home, he is asking residents for the opportunity to serve the town through one of its oldest local institutions.
