While the position of Southold Town Highway Superintendent is an elected position, it’s the least “political” job in Suffolk County.
Current incumbent Dan J. Goodwin isn’t even registered in a political party.
“Fixing potholes is not political,” said the Southold Highway Superintendent, who won his last election in 2021 with 4,794 votes.
When on the campaign trail, Goodwin talked to taxpayers about the hyper-local service the Highway Department provides, like maintaining 400 lane miles of roads, winter maintenance, plowing, sanding, pothole repairs, tree trimming, sidewalk repairs, roadside mowing, drainage and sump maintenance.
“I focused on the efficiency of the department, awareness of the job, and how I could do that better. We’re a small community. People didn’t care about ‘big’ political issues. They wanted to know how I’d fix roads,” added Goodwin.
Now candidates for public office across New York State will have to focus less on local issues and more on statewide and federal issues.
That is because New York Governor Kathy Hochul just signed a law on Friday, December 22nd, that moves local elections across the state to even years, when races for Governor and President take place.
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“My concern is that local elections, which most affect the day-to-day lives of our residents, would get lost in the news cycle, while competing for attention with Federal and State elections,“ said Islip Town Supervisor Angie M. Carpenter.
Even the bipartisan New York State Association of Counties (NYSAC), an advocacy group of locally elected officials of all political parties from across the state, asked Governor Hochul to veto the legislation.
“(It) will result in less attention to local issues at stake in local elections, will not result in taxpayer savings or more efficiency, and was not vetted by local leaders or subject to public hearings,” wrote NYSAC on its website.
Supporters of changing the cycle of town and county elections to even years believe higher turnout is good for democracy. Data from the Suffolk County Board of Elections confirms turnout is drastically higher in years when there is an election for Governor or President.
Total Suffolk County Voter Turnout
2023: 281,213 (race for County Executive)
2022: 566,073 (race for Governor)
2021: 281,628 (race for County Sheriff)
2020: 762,274 (race for President)
Source: Suffolk County Board of Elections
New York based attorney Joseph Burns, who has extensive professional experience with state election law, said it will be impossible for locally elected officials to raise enough campaign cash to compete with candidates running for statewide and federal office.
“A candidate for town board might spend a total of $1,500. They’ll be on the same ballot as congressional candidates spending millions. Super PACs will spend millions. How does a local candidate get their message across about clearing snow or building playgrounds? This date change will lead to further ‘nationalization’ of politics, which is not good for our communities,” said Burns.
The new law does not impact elections for city office, county clerks, county sheriffs, or district attorneys, since those offices fall under the authority of the New York State Constitution.
Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon (R-Syracuse) has already threatened litigation over the ambiguity of when current office holders would have to run again. It is possible that current politicians like McMahon would have to run again when his term is up in 2027, then run again in 2030 to be put on an even year cycle.