Patch Candidate Profile: Michael Iasilli for Southampton City Council

SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. — Residents of the city 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.

Michael Iasili, a Democrat, faces Democratic candidate Bill Pell and Republican candidates Richard Martel and William Paras in the race for two open seats on the Southampton City Council.

Here is Michael Iasilli's Patch candidate profile.

How old will you be by election day?

32

Does your campaign have a website?

https://facebook.com/michaelfo…

What city or town do you live in?

Southampton

Which office are you looking for?

City Council

Party membership

Democratic, Working Families

Education

Ph.D., MA, BA

What is your occupation?

Legislative assistant, two and a half years. assistant professor, 7 years.

You have family; If so, tell us about them.

My wife Christina and our dog Gracie.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No.

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

I have never held public office but was an elected union leader with the Schools Association and was previously appointed to Brookhaven Town's Disability Task Force.

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?

I am running because I believe that people in Southampton feel that they are losing control of their communities. Increasing traffic, cost of living and rampant development are reducing the quality of life for ordinary people. I believe we need proactive leadership that will work to strengthen representation in Southampton's settlements and promote bottom-up solutions that involve people in government decision-making. My experience prepares me to do just that.

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

Traffic, and I plan to create a traffic mitigation task force to identify problem corridors across the city and invite local input on what kind of solutions can be implemented in certain places. We will also rely on the ideas of experts and public safety officials so that we can keep our community safe and also explore ways to alleviate traffic congestion without tampering with existing infrastructure and improve the commuter experience .

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

In Southampton, I will work to incorporate the Shinnecock Nation's kelp farming methods, which are proven to help regenerate aquaculture and other marine life habitats that are important to the health and sustainability of our waters. I would also like to hold periodic Town Hall seminars with the Suffolk County Health Services Department to educate residents on how to update their septic systems and install I/As. There is a generous grant program that can help provide additional funds for people willing to make this improvement, and the application process should be more readily available for interested residents.

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

I think we should consider traffic circles as a great way to improve our roads that doesn't add extra lanes or change the size of our freeways. We need to adopt methods that do not invite more traffic, but reduce cars on the road.

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

We should first ensure that landlords do not charge a tenant an unfairly high rent just because they can. We should seek to create a mechanism that will keep in check the landlord's ability to raise the rent in a business that operates with few staff members and is committed to serving the community. However, the key to the labor shortage is housing. Here in Southampton, housing is largely unaffordable for workers. I would look for ways to streamline 72-H properties that are typically auctioned off at market value, and instead seek to ensure that the city is able to repurpose them for affordable housing.

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?

We need to work with our federal representatives. Immigration is a federal issue. We must ensure that we include our federal partners in the conversation and work to streamline the asylum process and find humane solutions to our broken immigration system.

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

I have the highest number of endorsements compared to the other candidates and I am more qualified in terms of my education and experience in government and academia.

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

In order to strengthen village representation, I want to pursue the feasibility of establishing council districts so that settlements have a representative they can turn to when they need help, instead of looking through a list of tasks assigned to each elected board member by supervisor. If we can do this, we not only streamline the process of governance, but also ensure that the people can hold their officials more accountable.

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

I took the lead in Suffolk County Legislator Bridget Fleming's office to find ways to protect the Long Pond Greenbelt from development and received the support of our Democratic colleagues as well as our Republican colleagues across the aisle. In addition, I helped draft a dark skies law that worked to lower the kelvin at county facilities to protect nocturnal wildlife. And I've been an integral part of maintaining constituent services for the 2nd Legislative District, connecting residents with critical government services and working with the state, cities and villages.

What is the best advice someone has ever given you?

Fortune favors the bold.

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

I want to serve my community because I believe that everyday workers need someone to advocate for them in government. Those left behind need a hand. I want to be someone people can turn to when they need help.