Greg Robins For Southampton Town Supervisor: Candidate Profile

SOUTHAMPTON, NY — Suffolk County residents will be hitting the polls soon to elect local representatives. The race is on in local town and village races leading up to Election Day, which is Tuesday, November 5. Patch asked those running for office to answer questions about their campaigns for candidate profiles.

Greg Robins, 69, of Southampton, is running on the Republican line for Southampton Town Supervisor. His opponents include incumbent and Democrat Jay Schneiderman and Alex Gregor, running on the Libertarian and Independence lines.

Robins and his wife Linda have a son Clinton, who is married to his wife Stephanie. Clinton and Stephanie have two children, Grace and Jarred. Clinton is a major in the Army.

Robins has a bachelor's degree in history from Fairfield University, a master's degree in history from Stony Brook University, and a master's in school district administration from Dowling College. He worked for 39 years as a teacher in the William Floyd School District and is now retired. He has served as a trustee in the village of North Haven and a fire commissioner in North Sea Fire District.

Patch's full Q&A with Greg Robins:

Patch: The single most pressing issue facing our community is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

R: The single most pressing problem is the assessment issue. Despite the current supervisor’s ads stating he has nothing to do with assessments, he is responsible. We must return to the same method used everywhere else in New York State. The current process is broken, and hurts our residents economically and unfairly townwide.

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

R: I will not look at our town issues as a politician. It is time for a local resident with the experience of a village trustee, a fire commissioner, and the local president of a union with over 500 members to rein in our spending and listen to our taxpayers.

P: If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community?

R: The current supervisor does not represent the interests of the majority of Southampton's residents. He is a spokesman for the ultra rich, as evidenced by the discussion to give away Tuckahoe Road to the golf club and his donor list.

P: Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform:

R: I am committed to reasonable workforce housing projects with an emphasis on density control, the impact on school districts, roads, sewage, and not targeting only certain parts of town. Doing nothing about traffic is unacceptable. We must be innovative and try a third lane on County Road 39 for two hours in the morning heading east and two hours heading west in the afternoon.

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

R: A recent example would be a state grant ($125,000) toward a new fire police vehicle for North Sea. I have dealt with village, fire district and school budgets. All budgets can be successfully trimmed.

P: The best advice ever shared with me was ...

R: "Solve the problem, do not worry about who gets the credit."

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

R: It is time for a change in Southampton Town Hall.