Democrats take control of East Hampton Town Council

EAST HAMPTON — Democrats are in control of the Town Council again, ending four years of Republican dominance.

In the past two years, Democrats held just three seats on the sevenmember board.

But on Tuesday, they ballooned their number of councilors to five, leaving just two seats for Republicans.

Democratic Town Committee Chairwoman Barbara Moore had a simple answer for how the Democrats were able to flip the council.

“I think we ran a great campaign,” Moore said in an email Thursday. “Voters realize that our candidates are serious about doing what is right for them.”

“It seems that voters (were looking) for a change and we were very organized with our campaign. We knocked on hundreds of doors and waved as they went to and from work. We look forward to serving in

the next two years,” she added in a second email.

Voters returned the three incumbent Republicans to the council: James “Pete” Brown with 1,720 votes, Dean Markham, with 1,689 votes, and Kevin Reich with 1,945.

They also returned Moore, with 1.694 votes, and her fellow former councilor Derek Johnson, with 1,515, to the council.

Incumbent Republicans Tim Feegel, 1,558 votes, and Mark Philhower, 1,514 votes, were reelected.

But Melissa H. Engel, with 1,431 votes, who had served as chairwoman for the past two years, was denied another term on the council, as was Josh Piteo, with 1,395 votes.

The last voting machine had barely been put away when the members of the newly elected council, Board of Education and Board of Finance assembled Wednesday evening in the TBell Room at East Hampton High School for a mass swearingin.

It was a lowkey, tensionfree event, as new members were sworn in by Town Clerk Kelly Bilodeau administering the oath of office in the presence of Town Manager David Cox, Executive Assistant Cathy Sirois, Police Chief Dennis Woessner, Sgt. Timothy Dowty, Director of Finance (and semiofficial photographer) Jeff Jylkka.

Also attending the ceremony were former Council Chairwoman Susan Weintraub and Chatham Party leaders Kyle and Mary Ann Dostaler.

Even though Reich was the highest votegetter on the council, he did not as is customary, take the gavel as the new council chairman.

Instead, that honor went to Brown, who was elected to a fifth term on the council.

In proposing him for chairman, Dean Markham described Brown as “a dedicated and diligent worker on behalf of East Hampton.”

“He’s a longtime resident who graduated from East Hampton High School in 1962,” Markham continued adding that brown and his wife Nancy have been married for 50 years.

Brown was elected unanimously.

Markham was then chosen to serve as deputy chairman, also without dissent.

“It’s a privilege to serve,” Brown said, adding “We’ve got a great council that will do great things.”

Recentlyinstalled Town Manager David Cox spoke.

He began by “thanking you on behalf the community for your willingness to serve.”

People who run for office do so “because they have a passion for their community, Cox said, calling upon the councilors to use the passion “for the benefit of East Hampton.”

The town staff “stands ready to assist the Town Council,” so that together, “We can move forward in the best way we know how.”

In the midst of the gaggle of officials and their remarks, one person stood out.

It was Philhower’s 6yearold granddaughter, Sophia.

She was acting as a onewoman cheerleader for her grandfather, wearing a “Philhower” sign around her neck that was almost as wide as she is tall.

By tradition, there is a cake to mark the beginning of new council, and Sophia was given the responsibility for cutting the cake.

She did not disappoint.