Thoughts on Southampton Village Mayor Jesse Warren's Second Term

“Likely Long Island’s most contentious mayoral race this year,” Newsday noted. That was the June 18 election for Mayor of Southampton Village. Jesse Warren was finishing his first term, now seeking a second.

He had been challenged by Michael Irving, his predecessor as mayor who wanted the job back after losing to Warren.

In the prior election, Warren had won by 45 votes. This time he won in a landslide by nearly 500. So he has his second term.

Rarely has an election campaign been held with such hatred by those who did not support Warren. His opposition tried to evict him from his village home to make him ineligible to run for office. The police department openly criticized him. Dozens of signs placed around town during his first term demanded his resignation.

Warren did very good things in his first term. He oversaw the opening of the Southampton African American Museum on North Main Street. This had languished for 10 years. His efforts resulted in less algae pollution in Lake Agawam, something not accomplished in years. He created a new park on Moses Lane. He proposed an initiative which became a law, requiring unoccupied stores to have artwork in the windows. He got to work on the new sewer plan. He lowered property taxes and submitted a budget with a surplus. He created an online way to report environmental damage.

In this second term, I believe he will complete the rebuilding of the home of former slave Pyrrhus Concer as a museum, and cause a replica of a colonial windmill to grace downtown.

In the end, hate never wins anything.