This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Politics & Government

Election 2011: Bridget Fleming, Town Council Incumbent

Southampton Town councilwoman seeks a full four-year term after winning a special election 18 months ago.

Democratic Councilwoman Bridget Fleming, 51, of Noyac is in her third town board campaign, having had a successful run her second time around in a 2010 special election to fill the spot of Anna Throne-Holst, who vacated her council seat after she was elected town supervisor.

In addition to serving as a councilwoman, Fleming is an attorney in private practice. She was an assistant district attorney with the Manhattan DA's office from 1991 to 2000, and the managing attorney of the City Bar Pro Bono Project from 2000 to 2001. She worked in the Law Officer of Harvey Arnoff from 2001 to 2002 and started her own law office in 2008. She is a member of both the New York State Bar Association and the Suffolk County Bar Association.

Fleming attended high school at the Washington Academy of the Ballet, graduated summa cum laude from Hunter College and earned her law degree at  the University of Virginia School of Law.

Find out what's happening in Southamptonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

She is a past member of the Noyac Citizens Advisory Committee.

Her name will appear on both the Democratic and Working Families lines.

Find out what's happening in Southamptonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Fleming in her own words:

When I first sought office, I anticipated bringing a fresh professional approach, grounded in my service as a prosecutor, to government in the Town of Southampton. That has happened. On the Town Board for almost the last two years, I’ve concentrated on the three key areas of jobs and the economy, environmental stewardship and financial responsibility.

We’ve promoted job opportunity for youth with the teen-run and the YouthBuild home renovation project for green building trades, in both of which I was the catalyst. Also, jobs were kept in Southampton by legislation I sponsored requiring utility companies to replace dangerous and unsightly poles.

Our recreational economy depends on maintaining our unique environment, and as liaison to the Southampton Green Committee, I’ve aggressively pursued open space acquisitions while holding the line on taxpayer expenses. I spearheaded the Local Waterfront Protection Plan and supported the appointment of a full-time Sustainability Coordinator to save energy and money.

My background prosecuting fraud in public programs makes me sensitive to shortcomings in financial management. Supervisor Anna Throne-Holst and I have worked hard to reorganize and tighten up the stewardship of taxpayer dollars in Southampton. We’ve achieved the appointment of an able comptroller, the restoration of the town’s endangered credit rating, an operating surplus and two years of no spending increases.

This is a good beginning, I believe, but much more remains to be done to see that our economy is nurtured, that the environment which is vital to that economy is preserved for all, and that taxpayer dollars are soundly managed.

MORE ON BRIDGET FLEMING:

  • .

Also running for town board: Bill Hughes, Christine Preston Scalera,

Download the movie

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?