Residents Organize Candidate Forum Before Greenport Election

GREENPORT, NY — The people have spoken: With no formal debate planned in advance of the Greenport Village election on March 19, residents organized their own.

A Q & A with four candidates running for two open village trustee seats will be held Monday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Floyd Memorial Library in Greenport.

Vying for the two open trustee seats are incumbent Trustee Jack Martilotta, Peter Clarke, Devin McMahon, and Lily Dougherty-Johnson. Cindy Pease Roe, who had formerly announced that she would be throwing her hat into the proverbial ring, said last week on the Greenport Village 2019 Election Facebook page — created by local resident and business owner Rena Wilhelm as a place where the public could pose questions to candidates — that, "after much thought and soul searching," she had decided to withdraw her candidacy for trustee for the Village of Greenport.

Wilhelm, who organized Monday night's question and answer session, discussed with Patch how the idea of the meeting was born. She said she'd asked, on the Let's Talk Village of Greenport Facebook page, whether a debate had been organized.

Wilhelm expressed interest in organizing one similar to another she'd planned four years ago at the Methodist Church, and, when no one else took the reigns, she decided to create the Facebook forum, a place where residents could be introduced to the candidates and pose some questions to "get some conversations started."

Wilhelm also reached out to staff at the library to plan a date and said thankfully, Monday was available.

"All candidates jumped onboard and I was so thankful as it is not easy to get everyone on the same schedule. Each candidate responded with an 'I'll be there!'" she said. "We have four great candidates for only two positions. The residents need to be educated on their views and intentions. Greenport has accomplished many improvements within the last term, but there is more work to be done. It's admirable that any public servant would offer their time and efforts to something that takes them away from their work, family and free time — so they should be heard."