Get to Know Jerry Larsen, Mayor of East Hampton Village

A lifelong resident of East Hampton, it is no surprise that this former chief of police would want to continue to serve the community he loves. Jerry Larsen is serving his first term as mayor of East Hampton Village. He proudly patrolled the streets of East Hampton for 20 years before becoming chief of police for his final 14 years on the force. At the time, at 39 years old, he was the youngest chief of police in the State of New York.

Service is baked into his DNA. He also is former president of the Suffolk County Police Association, a county-wide organization that encompasses 2,500 local departments. He is a member of the Kiwanis Club, past board director of the East Hampton Chamber of Commerce and LTV Studios. Finally, he is a former president and coach of the East Hampton Little League. He is quick to say what has helped him most in his current position.

“Being chief of police, which involves a lot of politics, has prepared me well for the job of mayor,” Larsen explains. “One of the biggest budget lines in the Village budget is the Police Department.”

Larsen controls a $27 million budget, but considers his responsibility to the residents more important. This includes nearly 10,000 year-round residents, as well as residents who summer here and swell the population to around 40,000, by his estimation. He also must consider the tourists who add to the Village coffers.

“When I was a teenager, I remember going to David’s Cookies and the Haagen Daz Ice Cream store,” Larsen says. “Things are definitely different, but we still have some mom-and-pop stores. We also have world-class designer stores and some unique places that you can’t find anywhere but here.”

Larsen knows the importance of managing growth so all the diverse interests can be accommodated. For example, the previous administration focused more on ticketing visitors. His approach: Add a parking app so visitors can add time by simply logging in on a device.

“Businesses were complaining that people were getting eighty dollar parking tickets. Others would stop shopping and leave,” Larsen says. “Now, other villages and towns are looking at what we’re doing and implementing the same.”

He also has his eye on traffic. The village has been monitoring the traffic and, during a recent week, there were 40,000 cars passing through East Hampton one way.

“I am waiting to see what it is going to be in July and August,” says Larsen, who also owns Protec Security. “If things are backed up on Route 27, traffic moves to the side roads and we’ve got pedestrians, kids on bikes and people trying to get in and out of their driveways. That is not where the traffic needs to go. We need to change the way traffic works on Route 27, make it more efficient.”

Larsen, who is married to his wife, Lisa, and has six children, says the village is researching other options that include four-way stop signs and speed bumps to slow down cars that may speed on side streets. He suggests one option for slowing down speeding cars is to encourage drivers to park and enjoy all that East Hampton has to offer.

“We want to be tourist friendly without lessening the quality of life of our residents,” Larsen explains. “We’ve done a lot already. We’ve put six million dollars into infrastructure, including along main street, and spent two million to upgrade Herrick Park. We started a foundation to pay for (it) and it didn’t cost taxpayers anything.”

During his time as mayor he and trustees have implemented long-overdue changes that include allowing a farmers market and outdoor dining.

“The previous administration was too restrictive,” says Larsen, who adds they were more concerned with keeping taxes low instead of paying attention to village infrastructure. “We don’t spend money just to spend money. We spend the money in areas we need to keep the village running.”

While shopping may be the reason many think to stop at East Hampton, Larsen says there is a lot of history that visitors can enjoy, including three windmills and the Home Sweet Home Museum. Founded in 1648 by Puritan farmers, the community was based on farming, with some fishing and whaling. Referred to by many as “America’s most beautiful village,” East Hampton is known for its pristine beaches, magnificent restaurants walkable downtown. Larsen says it is a balancing act to consider the wishes and needs of year-round residents, summer residents and tourists; but it’s an act that he takes on with pride and determination.

“At the end of the day, we’re family oriented,” Larsen says. “We still have special events like a free music series on Tuesdays in July and August. We do things to bring the community together. That includes visitors. We also have to be aware of our summer residents who add to our tax base.”

Larsen says the goal is to offer something to everyone without losing the community feel of East Hampton.

“You can’t look at world-class shopping as a negative,” Larsen says. “You also can’t look at the additional traffic as an inconvenience. They both are things to manage. The shops provide jobs for our locals. They give others a reason to come here. Whether you like history, the beaches, shopping or dining, you’ll find it here.”

Todd Shapiro is an award-winning publicist and associate publisher of Dan’s Papers.