Carole Brennan, East Hampton Town’s clerk for the last 12 years and its deputy clerk for 20 years before that, was praised and congratulated by the town board last week as she completes a 36-year career with the town.
The clerk’s office handles most of the permits issued by the town, for things from home improvement licenses, taxis, films, and shellfish to boat launching and beach parking. Early this year, Ms. Brennan, a lifelong Sag Harbor resident and Pierson High School graduate, announced that she would not seek re-election. Michael Hansen, who won November’s election for town clerk, will succeed Ms. Brennan next month.
“It’s been a wonderful time,” Ms. Brennan told The Star on Friday. “It’s been part of my life, and I enjoyed every minute of it and most of the dealings that I went through.” Of her retirement, she said, “I just felt like it was time.”
At the conclusion of last Thursday’s town board meeting, Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez said Ms. Brennan “has meant a great deal to this town, to our board, to her staff, and to so many people who walk through the doors of Town Hall.” The longtime clerk “has devoted decades of her life to this community,” she said. “Long before many of us were sitting at this table, she was already here, quietly making sure this town worked the way it should.”
“The clerk’s office is often the first place residents come when they need something, and sometimes the place they come during life’s most important moments,” the supervisor continued. “Carole understood that responsibility deeply. She brought professionalism, patience, and a steady presence to a role that carries an enormous amount of responsibility. She safeguarded our records, kept our meetings running smoothly, and helped generations of residents navigate everything from licenses and permits to moments of joy and moments of loss. She did it with care, fairness, professionalism, and we will all miss that.”
“On behalf of the town board, our staff, and the residents of East Hampton, thank you, Carole, for your 36 years of service and for the standard you set,” Ms. Burke-Gonzalez said. “We are grateful for the time, energy, and heart you gave to this town.”
The room filled with applause at the conclusion of the supervisor’s remarks. “My whole family was here,” Ms. Brennan said on Friday. “They were here for my first meeting, and they were here for my last,” with the exception of twin granddaughters who were out of town. “It was very nice.”
Ms. Brennan’s tenure began by accident. Her husband worked at the scavenger plant, which was shuttered in 2014, and his secretary left the job. Ms. Brennan filled in and found it enjoyable. For a time, she worked in the tax receiver’s office, but returned to the clerk’s office, successfully running for deputy clerk in 1993.
Twenty years later, she sought the clerk’s position, running unopposed and cross-endorsed by the Democratic, Republican, Conservative, and Independence Parties. She is now completing a third four-year term.
Her future includes travel, though she said last week she has no immediate plan.
As she told this reporter after announcing, early this year, that she would not seek re-election, Ms. Brennan retires with one regret: People are not as nice as they once were. “It’s very hard when you try your best to help everybody,” she said, “and some people just really don’t appreciate it. . . . Some people just come in, they’re belligerent. They have to be escorted out.”
