Councilman Peter Van Scoyoc Announces He Will Run For East Hampton Town Supervisor
East Hampton Town Councilman Peter Van Scoyoc announced Monday that he plans to run for East Hampton Town Supervisor this November, after current Supervisor Larry Cantwell announced this winter that he did not plan to run for re-election.
“My wife Marilyn and I have raised our family in East Hampton and understand the challenges faced by working class families to earn a living and provide for their family,” said Mr. Van Scoyoc in the announcement of his candidacy. “I have over 16 years of experience as a local public official, having served five years on the Zoning Board of Appeals, another six years on the Planning Board, and as Councilman and Deputy Supervisor for the past five years. I have been honored by the voters of East Hampton when I was elected and re-elected to the town board.”
Mr. Van Scoyoc, a Democrat, took his seat on the board in 2012 during the tumultuous administration of former Town Supervisor Bill Wilkinson, a Republican who undertook severe austerity measures after the disastrous accounting practices under former Democratic Supervisor Bill McGintee.
For the following two years, Mr. Van Scoyoc was a supporter of environmental initiatives at a time when such a position was in the minority on the board.
Once Democrats took the majority with Mr. Cantwell’s election in 2013, Mr. Van Scoyoc said he’s worked with his colleagues to restore the community’s trust in the board.
“Over the past three years, the town board has worked together listening carefully to the people we serve and has restored dignity and respect to the process of local government,” he said. “Continuing a strong sense of openness and cooperation is paramount to producing effective government, an important dynamic that was sorely lacking before the current Town Board took office, and that is clearly missing in Washington today.”
He said the current board has worked to ensure water protection, environmental restoration, open space preservation, has addressed coastal erosion and ensured beach access rights, enforced quality of life issues and controlled the Montauk party scene, begun hamlet planning studies, improved infrastructure, attempted to enact airport noise restrictions, worked on affordable housing and a rental registry, enacted energy efficiency and sustainability measures, and reduced the town’s debt while staying under the 2 percent state property tax cap.
“Leading the community as supervisor requires even more than the experiences of raising a family and earning a living here. Most importantly, I offer a vision for the future of the Town Of East Hampton,” he said. “A future that is forever diligent about protecting our natural resources, open space, and environment. A future that includes more opportunities for our residents who want to live and work here and have a place to live. And a future where we accept our diversity, understand our differences and work together for the betterment of our community.”
