Former East Hampton Town Councilman Jeff Bragman, who screened with the Democratic Committee this winter to be considered as its nominee for town supervisor this fall, on Saturday endorsed East Hampton Village Mayor Jerry Larsen in his primary race against the incumbent, Kathee Burke-Gonzalez.
In a press release Monday, Mr. Larsen announced additional new endorsements from four East Hampton Town Trustees: Jim Grimes, Patricia Dalton, Ben Dollinger, and Bill Taylor. Including Francis Bock, who announced his endorsement earlier this month, that means the majority of the nine trustees are backing Mr. Larsen.
Two current members of the East Hampton Town Democratic Committee, Joan McGivern and Barbara Layton, both running with his slate of committee candidates, also underline their endorsement of the challenger.
The election is Tuesday and early voting is ongoing through Sunday.
Mr. Bragman, speaking on Saturday in the Hook Mill Building, said he was a “dyed-in-the-wool Democrat, an F.D.R. Democrat,” who met with Mr. Larsen after he was invited for coffee. “The first thing I noticed about him was his ability to listen.”
Before he agreed to endorse Mr. Larsen, the two discussed several issues of concern to Mr. Bragman.
These included the town board’s failure to preserve the Norfolk-Crandall woodlands in Springs, the Brooks-Park Arts and Nature Center, also in Springs, which Mr. Bragman said had been neglected, a failing wastewater treatment system in a Camp Hero residential neighborhood, and his opposition to the employer housing legislation now before the board.
“I don’t like the ‘big business’ focus,” said Mr. Bragman, about the legislation. “It’s not focused on getting us year-round residences for people that want to work and live in the town.”
He also said that he supports strengthened citizens advisory committees, which are appointed by the town board but not allowed to take positions in front of the planning or zoning boards about development. “To me, that makes no sense,” said Mr. Bragman.
Finally, he was impressed that Mr. Larsen, an ex-police chief, was willing to take a new look at the Maidstone Gun Club.
“The town board is on the verge of executing a behind-closed-doors-deal with the gun club at a below-market price that would lock up 97 acres of land,” said Mr. Bragman. “Jerry said, ‘Look, I’d be okay with a totally indoor gun range on a much smaller piece of property.’ I like that idea because it would free up 50, 60, or 70 acres, where we could put housing or some kind of an energy facility that would benefit the town, or some other features that would benefit the wider public.”
Mr. Bragman then pivoted.
“I want to say something to the folks that are worried about Jerry Larsen,” he said. For those worried about weakened zoning laws, he pointed to the town’s actions around the proposed senior citizens center. “Not only did they propose an oversized project of 22,000 square feet, bigger than anything that would be permitted in a commercial district, but they vacated zoning completely in order to hustle it through the board review.”
“If you’re worried about environmental protection,” he continued, “this town board clear-cut seven acres of habitat for an endangered bat that’s on the verge of extinction.”
He also faulted the board for failing to back neighbors who are fighting an encroachment of a decades-old easement on Further Lane.
“How can you know if you’re going in the right direction, if you don’t know where you got lost in the first place?” he asked. “I believe that politics is the art of the possible, it’s not the art of the perfect.”
“Your endorsement means a great deal to me,” Mr. Larsen to Mr. Bragman at the press event, “not simply because of your service to East Hampton, but because of your reputation for independence and integrity.”
