Two for Mayor and Three for Justice

Tuesday’s election in Sag Harbor Village features two races, one for mayor and another for justice.

Sandra Schroeder and Robby Stein are vying for the top spot, to replace Brian Gilbride, who is stepping down after 21 years on the board and 6 as mayor. Ms. Schroeder and Mr. Stein are both in the midst of serving two-year terms on the village board. While they agree on many of the issues plaguing Sag Harbor, such as the need for a moratorium on residential building and for long-term infrastructure planning, the two candidates offer different perspectives.

Ms. Schroeder, a lifelong Sag Harbor resident, is a familiar face in village government. She worked for the village for 21 years under eight mayors until her retirement as village administrator in 2010. She won a seat on the board last year and serves as the deputy mayor. This is her second attempt to become mayor. She lost to Mr. Gilbride by just 11 votes in 2013.

She pointed to her experience as setting her apart from Mr. Stein. “My on-the-job training for 20-something years,” she said, has prepared her to lead the village. She said she knows how to get things accomplished and the right people to call. “I’m not afraid to say I don’t know the answer to a particular question, but in an hour I can get it.”

Mr. Stein is a clinical child psychologist with a practice in the village. He was appointed to the board six years ago to fill a vacancy when Mr. Gilbride, then a board member, was elected mayor, and Mr. Stein lost a tight race for a board seat. He later won two elections for full terms.

“I think I understand organizational behavior better than anyone on the board,” Mr. Stein said. Over the course of his career he received training in organizational analytics. “It’s not about on-the-job training. It’s about what you do beyond on-the-job training.”

Mr. Stein said he believes he represents a broader section of the village. He is the village’s representative to the Peconic Estuary Program, and he serves on the boards of Bay Street Theater and Mashashimuet Park.

The two candidates agree the village is in desperate need of long-term planning, particularly for capital improvements. Ms. Schroeder said she wants to immediately assess what is in more dire need of repair, the Municipal Building or Long Wharf, and come up with a schedule and bond for the work. Both have been long discussed and long neglected. “Time to talk is over. Let’s get it done,” she said.

Mr. Stein has his sights on two projects. A green space at the south side of the Marine Lance Cpl. Jordan C. Haerter Memorial Bridge would ultimately connect to Long Wharf to allow for pedestrian paths along the waterfront. He also wants to implement a twofold project in the municipal parking lot behind Main Street for which he is in the process of securing grant money. The project would fix a drainage problem, control water runoff, and create 45 new parking spaces by reconfiguring the lot.

No matter who is elected Tuesday night, there will be a vacancy on the board come July, as both candidates have one year left to their terms.

The two other board members, Ed Deyermond and Ken O’Donnell, are running unopposed to keep their seats for another two years.

The Justice Race

Three attorneys are seeking the position of Sag Harbor Village justice. Lisa R. Rana of Amagansett, a sitting judge, Stephen Grossman of East Hampton, who has a practice in Sag Harbor Village, and Michael S. Bromberg of Sag Harbor are in the running. Special legislation enacted before the court was established allows justices to live outside the village within the confines of the Town of East Hampton or the Town of Southampton.

“I’m the only candidate who is a resident of Sag Harbor Village,” Mr. Bromberg told the crowd at a meet-the-candidates forum at the Old Whalers Church on Sunday. “I would hope that you would vote for a candidate who can vote for himself,” he said with a laugh.

A trial and appellate lawyer for 45 years, he retired about a year and a half ago. While he lacks judicial experience, Mr. Bromberg has presided over arbitrations. He also served on the village zoning board of appeals for 12 years, including as chairman for a time. Having moved to the village in 1981, he joined the Sag Harbor Volunteer Ambulance Corps shortly after, and ultimately became a paramedic.

Mr. Bromberg asserted that as the only candidate without a practice, he is the only candidate who can be readily available for arraignments, of which there were 173 last year.

“I’m about 150 feet from the justice court, so I’m available all the time,” answered Mr. Grossman, who has maintained a practice in the village for 34 years. He has served as a public defender and handles litigation, criminal and civil cases, probate, and real estate work. “I’ve handled more trial cases than anyone at the table,” he said.

Mr. Grossman said that while the current justice, Andrea Schiavoni, who decided not to seek re-election, had done “a remarkable job” setting up the court in 2010, he has ideas for improvements. For one, “There’s no reason people have to take a day off to handle a traffic ticket.”

Rounding out the ballot, Justice Rana is the only candidate with judicial experience. A second-generation East Ender, she is running her fourth campaign to wear the robes (Mr. Grossman ran against her twice in East Hampton). Over 12 years she has been elected three times to East Hampton Town Justice Court — a part-time position that allows her to keep a private practice.

“My judge services come first and will always be my priority,” she said. For the past five years she has been appointed as the acting justice in Sag Harbor, to step in when needed, and worked with Justice Schiavoni to start the court.

 The election will be held at the Sag Harbor Fire Department headquarters on Brick Kiln Road on Tuesday from noon to 9 p.m.