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Politics & Government

Election 2011: Christine Preston Scalera, Town Council Candidate

Former deputy town attorney for Southampton and former councilwoman in Oyster Bay runs for council in Southampton.

Republican Water Mill resident Christine Preston Scalera, 46, is a former member of the Oyster Bay Town Board, and now she is seeking the same position in Southampton Town.

Scalera, an attorney who was a deputy town attorney for Southampton, has advised elected officials on planning, land use and zoning for 20 years.

She is a graduate of Jericho High School and holds a Bachelor of Science in communications from Boston University. She earned her juris doctor at the Touro School of Law.

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Scalera was a deputy county attorney for Nassau, defending county agencies including the police department and department of social services, and an assistant town attorney for Oyster Bay, prosecuting town code violations, such as overcrowded housing and planning and zoning violations. In Brookhaven Town, she was assistant town attorney, deputy town attorney and chief deputy town attorney, prosecuting code violations and advising on land use and planning. As deputy town attorney for Southampton, she wrote legislation including the first overhaul of the planned development district law, which restored town board's legislative authority not to hear applications without merit. She was counsel on Southampton's first transfer of development rights program, and counsel on administering the town's first affordable housing program.

Scalera is a past member of the Water Mill Citizens Advisory Committee.

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Her name will appear on the Republican, Conservative and Independence ballot lines.

Scalera in her own words:

I want to run for Town Council in the Town of Southampton initially, because given the challenges ahead, I think you need people with relevant experience, and I believe my professional background speaks to that.

Additionally, I have the ability to work with others, regardless of party affiliation, and believe you need to do that to be effective.

Perhaps the most compelling reason though is my daughter, which translates to “our children” in the community sense. I chose to raise my child here for the same reasons that most stay here or come here. I want my child to be able to raise her children here. I want her to be able to come back and find a job, afford a home, and I want to be able to grow old in the home my husband and I built here some 10 years ago. I am concerned that unless we start to take seriously economic development in areas already identified in land use plans as appropriate, that our young people will not be able to find jobs. I am concerned that unless we continue to cut our spending and take the necessary steps to enable us to hold the line on taxes our seniors will not be able to stay in their homes. I am concerned that unless we have people with experience tackling these issues in a way that preserves, respects and protects our environment that we will lose the beauty of this community.

I understand the importance of having the right people in place that understand the challenges ahead and how to effectively deal in a balanced way with the needs of the community. I do not see our opponents handling any of these issues in an effective manner.  I have presented ideas and initiatives in connection with the budget, I have presented ideas and initiatives regarding economic development, helping our local businesses and protecting and preserving our environment. We need consistent, experienced and professional elected officials you can respect and count on. I have the experience, I have been consistent in my message and beliefs and I will work hard to maintain the respect of this community.       

MORE ON CHRISTINE PRESTON SCALERA:

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