Candidate Profile: Ann Welker, Suffolk County 2nd Legislative District

SUFFOLK, NY – Residents of the Town of Southampton will soon be heading to the polls to elect local representatives.

The race is in the run-up to Election Day, which this year is Tuesday, November 7.

Patch asked those running for office to answer questions about their campaigns and will post candidate profiles in the days leading up to the election.

Ann Welker, a Democrat, is facing Republican candidate Manuel Vilar for the Suffolk County 2nd Legislative District seat currently held by Bridget Fleming.

Suffolk County's 2nd Legislative District consists of the entire South Fork and includes the towns of Southampton and East Hampton, as well as Shelter Island and parts of Brookhaven Town's East Moriches and Eastport.

Here is Patch's candidate profile for Ann Welker:

Name

Anne Welker

How old will you be by election day?

60

Does your campaign have a website?

https://suffolkcountydems.com/…

What city or town do you live in?

Southampton

Which office are you looking for?

Suffolk County Legislature

If you are running in a region, you can specify the region here.

Area #2

Party membership

Democratic Party of Working Families

Education

MA – Adelphi University Exercise Physiology, BA- Adelphi University -Business/Finance

What is your occupation?

Exercise therapist, cardiopulmonary rehabilitation department, 7 years

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No.

Have you ever held public office, either appointive or elective?

Southampton City Manager, 2017 to present.

Now we'd like to ask a few questions about why you're running for office and your general views on politics and government. First, why are you looking for this office?

Having had the honor of serving as Southampton's city manager for the past six years, I have grown increasingly frustrated with working to protect our water quality. Managers' jurisdiction ends at the mid-high level, the shoreline, but decisions affecting water quality are all land-use decisions over which managers have no say. Fertilizer and pesticide use, irrigation, stormwater management, and most importantly, upgrading more than 350,000 aging septic systems in Suffolk County, the largest county without sewers in the entire U.S., are beyond the stewards' purview. If I am fortunate enough to be elected to the Suffolk County Legislature, I am committed to advancing the Suffolk County Water Quality Restoration Act, which would create a sustainable funding stream to upgrade our septic and sewer systems. I am also committed to protecting public health, building a clean energy future and mitigating climate change.

Please complete this statement: The most pressing issue facing my constituents is ____, and this is what I plan to do about it.

Water quality as well as water quantity. As stated earlier, I am committed to promoting the Suffolk County Water Quality Restoration Act, as well as Insertion Resolution No. 1666-2023, a Suffolk County law establishing requirements for automatic irrigation systems, introduced by the Legislature Al Krupski of Legislative District #1 . This would require rain controllers and rain sensors for irrigation so that sprinkler systems cannot operate while it is raining or if the ground is already wet enough. Both of these initiatives focus on water conservation and conservation.

What needs to be done to address water quality issues in LI?

As previously mentioned, advance Suffolk County Water Quality Restoration Act, Septic System Upgrade, Sewer Investigation for High Density Areas.

What do you think can be done to improve our infrastructure, highways, etc.?

Link federal and state funding to county and city funding.

How would you plan to help local business owners who are struggling due to high rents, inflation and labor shortages?

I would help the little bushes get access to the Capital Readiness Program, funded by the American Rescue Plan.

What is your position on the current immigrant situation affecting New York City? And the immigrants had to head to shelters on Long Island, how would you prepare/plan for that?

New York is a city of refuge. Suffolk Count is not. The status of immigrants is a federal and state issue. Governor Hochul announced that counties will not be forced to take in immigrants. However, with that being said, the US is a country of immigrants.

What are the main differences between you and the other candidate seeking this position?

I am an experienced leader, having served in elected office for six years. I am committed to fighting climate change and promoting smart environmental policies. I will be a strong voice for the East End, my knowledge and commitment to local issues runs deep.

What other issues do you plan to address during your campaign?

Waste management? coastal resilience? mental health, especially of our youth.

What past achievements would you cite as proof that you can handle this job?

While serving as a Southampton Town trustee, working together as a single council, we settled a 16-year-old lawsuit. obtained a NYS DEC and Army Corps of Engineers permit for Mecox Bay inlet management that had expired in 2016; and conducted a major dredging of Mecox Bay that had not been done since 2014, which significantly improved water quality in the bay due to increased tidal flow. I can work across the table to complete the important work of the government.

What is the best advice someone has ever given you?

Women govern in a responsible, bipartisan manner.

Is there anything else you'd like voters to know about you and your positions?

I will take the lessons learned, skills acquired and relationships built during my time as a Southampton Town Trustee and, following in the footsteps of MLA Bridget Fleming, continue the exemplary work she has achieved for the East End. There are 18 Suffolk County legislators, representing 18 areas within the county. Two of those legislators are in the East End, one in the North Fork and one in the South Fork. If I am fortunate enough to be elected, I will be a strong voice advocating for the preservation of our quality of life and community character that we value so much in the East End.