Candidate Profile: Elizabeth 'Betsy' Bambrick For Town Board

East Hampton NY

03 November, 2019

6:38 PM

Description

EAST HAMPTON, 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, this year, falls on Tuesday, November 5. Patch asked those running for office to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles in the days leading up to the election. Betsy Bambrick, 58, of Springs in East Hampton, is running for East Hampton Town board; she is unaffiliated but is running on the Conservative, Libertarian and Independence lines. She has a son, Spencer Bambrick, and a daughter, Meghan Bambrick. A high school graduate, she retired from the Town of East Hampton in 2017 and has served as the social services coordinator for St. Michael's Senior Housing since 2018. She served on the East Hampton Board of Ethics from 2010 to 2017. Check out Patch's full Q&A with Capt. Betsy Bambrick below. Patch: The single most pressing issue facing our community is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it. Bambrick: The single most pressing issue is a one-party rule that fails to represent, serve, and protect our local constituency. I intend to bring us back to the basics of good government by allowing other voices to be heard. I will hold elected officials accountable, requiring transparency and putting an end to their circumventing the law. Patronage, cronyism, and selective enforcement of our code must end. P: What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?: B: The incumbents have sold their souls to a political party. In my 30 years in public service, I have maintained my integrity and independence, and will continue to do so. P: If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community? B: The incumbents have failed the community in that so many of the issues that plague us have been ignored or put on the back burner. No one has moved into a municipal affordable housing project in years; the off-shore wind project is barreling through without oversight, proper review, or public input; we have an emergency communications crisis that they cannot resolve; response to contaminants in drinking water has been inching along when it should have been immediate; town employees are underpaid/disrespected, are harassed, and face retaliation when they speak up; lawsuits (at tax-payer expense) have been encouraged to provide for 'political cover'; our town code is selectively enforced — when it is enforced at all. P: Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform: B: We need to: Detoxify Town Hall. Fix "Dirtbag Beach". Scale back the shellfish hatchery project. Enhance/relocate the senior center. P: What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job? B: Having worked with every administration from Tony Bullock's to Larry Cantwell's, I have proven that I can collaborate with all types of personalities and political leanings. My inclusion on the Board of Ethics for two terms illustrates that I possess the integrity and moral compass required. I can be trusted with confidential information and have the intelligence and patience to do the required research before making important decisions. My sensitive and supportive supervision of town employees for decades exemplifies the strength of character needed to handle this job. P: The best advice ever shared with me was ... B: "You're more likely to get jammed up not for what you've done, but for what you failed to do when you had the opportunity." P: What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions? B: I will be a truly independent, fair-minded, and thoughtful advocate for unrepresented locals living in forgotten hamlets.