A Unanimous Vote for New Town Attorney
A couple of months later than expected, but the Southampton Town Board has hired a new town attorney. Supervisor Jay Schneiderman’s pick, James M. Burke, was sworn in on Tuesday afternoon following unanimous approval by the board.
The supervisor joked that Mr. Burke, who has served in both the private and public sectors, has been with “the other Schneiderman” — New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman — for the past five years. An assistant attorney general, he was the head attorney for the Real Property Bureau, representing Albany in the five boroughs of New York City and on Long Island. He litigated numerous multimillion-dollar claims, according to his resume.
“He has the municipal law experience that is needed for a position like this,” Mr. Schneiderman said after the meeting. The supervisor, a former county legislator, has known Mr. Burke for a long time, having worked with him when Mr. Burke was deputy director of the Suffolk Department of Real Estate. In that position, he managed the department, negotiated with landowners for acquisition of land for open space, drinking-water protection, and parkland totaling over $50 million per year. He also worked closely with the Suffolk County Police Department on facilities management issues and coordinated efforts to lease county spaces.
Mr. Burke’s career began in 1987 when he joined the Nassau County D.A.’s office. In the bureau of municipal and environmental affairs, he began and defended Article 78 proceedings on behalf of the county comptroller’s office. He has also worked as a deputy town attorney with Brookhaven Town, from 1992 to 1996 and from 2006 to 2009. Among other duties, he served as counsel to the planning board, handling all major zoning and land issues.
In private practice, Mr. Burke was senior counsel to Lewis and Johs L.L.P. in Melville from 2009 to 2011. During that time he represented corporate clients and real estate developers before planning and zoning boards.
He prefers the public sector. “I’ve always liked public service; it’s more rewarding,” he said. He is proud of his success with the county in preserving open space, and said it was what attracted him to the job in Southampton Town. “You hope to leave some sort of positive legacy behind,” he said.
Public service runs in Mr. Burke’s family. His father was a fire chief in the Bronx, and his brother, William Burke Jr., was a captain in the New York Fire Department who died on Sept. 11, 2001.
“I think he’s a good fit for the town attorney’s office, knowing the individuals that are there. We have a very talented crew of attorneys,” Mr. Schneiderman said. Mr. Burke is filling a vacancy left when Tiffany Scarlato resigned as the supervisor took office in January. Without a full board, Mr. Schneiderman decided to postpone voting on a new town attorney and waited until after a special election. Kathleen Murray, a deputy town attorney, stepped up to fill the role in the interim, and Mr. Schneiderman thanked and praised her during the meeting.
“I think Jim, with his very calm demeanor and his breadth of experience, will fit in very well as a manager,” Mr. Schneiderman said. Mr. Burke, who will oversee a staff of five, is a Port Jefferson resident, but said he does not mind the commute, even with the traffic, having traveled back and forth to Hauppauge and Mineola for his previous positions. “Any day I can go east instead of west is a good day,” he said.
The board approved his annual salary at $132,651 for the two-year term, concurrent with the supervisor’s term.