Meet The Candidates: Greg Doroski For Southold Town Board

NORTH FORK, NY — Suffolk County residents will be heading to the polls Tuesday to elect local representatives and make their voices heard.

Residents will weigh in on the race to represent one of the 18 legislative districts in Suffolk County, vote for Suffolk County District Attorney and Sheriff — and choose their local town elected officials.

In advance of the election, Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaign — and the results will be published as candidate profiles in the days leading up to the vote.

Greg Doroski, who ran for Southold Town Supervisor in 2019, is vying for one of two open seats on the Southold town board. Doroski, who is running on the Democratic and Working Families lines, is running along with fellow Democrat and Working Families candidate Brian Mealy, as well as Anthony Sannino and Greg Williams, both running on the Republican and Conservative lines.

Following is Patch's full Q&A with Greg Doroski:

Name

Greg Doroski

Age (as of Election Day) 41

Position Sought

Town Council (aka Town Board)

Party Affiliation

Democratic. Cross-endorsed by Working Families and Libertarian (write-in)

Family

My wife, Liz was born and raised in Cutchogue. We have two daughters: Emerson, 9, and Jane, 8. Both attend Mattituck-Cutchogue Elementary School.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

Graduate of Mattituck High School, with a BA from Drew University in philosophy.

Occupation

Currently, innovations director at Greenport Harbor Brewery. Previously, partner and head brewer at Threes Brewing. 12 years of brewing industry experience.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

None

Campaign website

https://southoldforward.com/gr...

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am running for town council to serve and strengthen our community. In 2019, I ran for supervisor and came within 117 votes, or 1.4 percent, of restoring leadership in Southold Town. Most of the issues we campaigned on then are more urgent today: the absence of vision and planning, the lack of transparency and accountability, the missed opportunities. I will take action on our most pressing challenges: our changing climate, unchecked growth and development, community housing, deer and ticks, traffic, public safety and quality of life. Our way of life hangs in the balance.

As councilperson, I will fight to immediately implement the comprehensive plan and execute a long-overdue overhaul of our zoning code to promote a strong and vibrant community. I will fight to protect and strengthen our unique environment. I will fight for good jobs and housing opportunities. I will work across party lines to bring business owners, farmers, fishermen and the public together as partners in our future.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The future of Southold Town is on the line. It’s one new hotel and special events venue now, and a few more down the line. It’s the other big development projects you hear rumblings about over the horizon. We know how the story of our community ends if we keep letting ourselves be pushed toward the inevitable conclusion of this current trajectory. The fundamental problem isn’t this or that particular development project but more than a decade of failed leadership that has allowed our future to be determined by a mix of carelessness, passivity and personal gain. The current administration has left us completely unprepared for this inflection point in the history of Southold Town. As your next Southold Town councilperson, I fight to immediately implement the comprehensive plan and to execute a long-overdue overhaul of our zoning code to give us the tools we need to defend ourselves against overdevelopment, and to promote a strong and vibrant community. I will take action on our most pressing challenges: unchecked growth and development, community housing, deer and ticks, our changing climate, traffic and public safety. We must act now.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I will serve the public good, and fight for what is right — always! I will bring people together from all segments of our community to create a future that works for us all. I will be respectful and neighborly to all people, no matter what. Especially with Mr. Williams’ “no comment” comment in response to the recent personal attack mailers, and Mr. Sannino’s unwillingness to criticize the Southold GOP leadership for sending these mailers, I have serious doubts about their ability to put what is right and good above party loyalty and personal interest. Our community needs leaders we can trust.

On the policy level, I am concerned that over the course of the campaign Mr. William’s expressed opposition to sensible house size restrictions (MLCA forum), he advocated taking a wait-and-see approach to addressing climate-change (Suffolk Times endorsement interview), and he suggested that not driving to Riverhead on weekends was a good solution to the traffic problems effecting our community (MLCA forum). I am troubled that Mr. Sannino didn’t take time to familiarize himself with the comprehensive plan before the Mattituck Laurel Civic Association 'Meet the Candidates' forum and was forced to pass on a question about the plan. More of the same is not enough. I will take action on our most pressing challenges: unchecked growth and development, community housing, deer and ticks, our changing climate, traffic and public safety.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)?

Although neither of my opponents are incumbents, the current administration has failed our community with their reactionary decision-making and passivity in the face of change, that has only accelerated over the past 18 months. The comprehensive plan to guide our community’s future took them 10 years to complete, when the initial timeline was only 18 months. Although it was finally adopted two years ago, it still hasn’t been implemented, and in its current form it fails to prioritize its goals and objectives. Without an overall plan, our community has faced continuous and growing challenges that do not have thoughtful, up-to-date policy and supporting code to address them in a coordinated way. This is an existential moment in the history of Southold Town — it’s now or never.

How do you think local officials performed in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?

I believe we must always strive to do better. In this particular case, COVID-19 highlighted this administration’s ongoing struggle to communicate effectively with the public. At a minimum, I would have called on a rotating member of the board to hold daily briefings during the peak of the pandemic to communicate with our community.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

I will promote a positive and supportive government culture that fosters collaboration and innovation. Many other communities have faced, and met, similar challenges to those facing our Southold Town community. Unlike the current administration, I will actively connect with these communities. I will also deepen our government's engagement with our local community members, non-profits and other organizations.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

My business partners and I founded, built and managed a brewery in Brooklyn. We transformed a raw 10,000 square foot warehouse space into one of the country's top breweries. We grew from five to 50 employees. We developed and implemented all of the systems to manage staff, operations and finances. I'm proud to say that we built a multimillion-dollar business, that is still thriving today. During this time, I learned the importance of accountability and results. In business, any good leader knows the importance of accepting personal responsibility for outcomes. In Southold Town, inaction or suboptimal outcomes are usually blamed on outside entities. That is not acceptable.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Plan the work and work the plan – Dan Goodwin, candidate for Superintendent of Highways.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I am an eager listener and lifelong learner. I am flexible and results-driven. I will always listen to my neighbors and act in a timely matter.