Southampton - Councilwoman Anna Throne-Holst wants to change the tone of town government from the top. Halfway through her first term, Throne-Holst is running for supervisor on the Democrat, Working Families and Independence lines with a pledge to open up the process and build coalitions with politicians, administrators and citizens.

Throne-Holst during an interview at the Hamptons.com offices on Main Street in Southampton.

With the town's financial situation still in a cloud, though clearly in a ditch, Throne-Holst admitted, "I don't have a deficit reduction plan," as, "without the bottom line numbers, deficit plans can not be properly crafted," she explained. Throne-Holst is against "randomly piercing [the five percent] cap without a plan in place, we don't know what that actually means to the taxpayer," she said during an interview at the Hamptons.com offices in Southampton. Referencing the recent forensic audit of the capital fund, "those deficits are going to affect the general fund," Throne-Holst explained, "If we tax for non-appropriations, it will translate into some tax increase," according to the amendment proposed by Supervisor Linda Kabot that would allow Southampton to increase property taxes above the five percent cap to cover deficit financing.

"Depending on what those real numbers are we have decisions to make," Throne-Holst stated, "Can we do it in a year or will it be several years?" whereby a tax increase of more than five percent in 2010 might not be necessary.

The town's finances are the big topic of this year's election and "the town finances are bad," according to Throne-Holst. "The budget presented currently by the supervisor is lacking in a couple of important areas and only looks one year down the road," the councilwoman said, "I think it needs some real analysis and projections going forward" on the affects of reorganization and consolidation of services.

"We were essentially left out of the budget process," Throne-Holst stated, with only one meeting with department heads and their respective liaisons before the tentative budget was submitted, "I think if the process had been a more inclusive and holistic one, with second and third conversations, I think we would have come up with a more complete budget." Much of the subsequent feedback from department heads "was that they weren't listened to," the councilwoman said, a tone she would change if elected to the top seat.

Throne-Holst believes that a more open, inclusive process will lead to better government, and could help avoid the failures of the past. "As we got further into last year and the beginning of this year, what I was talking about in January wasn't happening. I really felt that I could bring a new way of doing things, a new perspective" Throne-Holst said of why she chose to run, "I see myself as a public servant, not a politician, and I think that would be good for Southampton right now."

Throne-Holst, similar to her rival Supervisor Kabot, is running for the top seat mid-way through her council term.

While the financials will be dealt with, "Our biggest responsibility as elected officials is to put forth really well thought out and really meaningful legislation," Throne-Holst said, mentioning her work on the dark skies legislation currently before the board and the controversial energy codes discussed last year. The energy codes was the freshmen councilwoman's "first foray on the town board of putting something forth that had strong opinions on both sides, but it was a great opportunity to work with both sides."

The environment is an important issue for Throne-Holst, however she came to understand the important dynamics within the community. "There's kind of a new reality, especially for a municipality like ours that is very particular," she said, "We're a coastal area," where environmental issues have the most immediate effects, "and we have residents that range from the absolute lowest rung of the economic ladder to the absolute highest. Making this town for everyone is a challenge."

Throne-Holst believes that a more inclusive town board will yield better results for the town.

In the end it comes down to, "How do we ensure that we reach the intended, but don't go down the unintended paths," Throne-Holst said, and that can only be achieved through consensus and taking input from all sides. "We should be able to just take a deep breath and say, how can the five of us work together and with the public to get a common ground consensus and options on how to move forward," the councilwoman suggested, "And I think if that type of leadership is in the supervisor's chair, that culture will change."

Included in changing the culture of town hall politics for Throne-Holst is changing the formality of the procedures as well. "Our work sessions are too formal," she contended, "If we treated our work sessions as staff meetings, if we sat around a table like this and said, 'O.K., what makes it doable for you.'"

"That's my background," Throne-Holst said, citing her time as an administrator of not-for-profits, "In my experience, if it's led the right way, that won't fail. There's ritual and process that needs to be followed, I also think that healthy process is necessary, but it needs to be a predictable process and an inclusionary process."

Inclusion would be Throne-Holst's first priority in office, beginning with the town board itself. "If the coalition building effort comes from the supervisor's chair, that hopefully will start to permeate the entire town board culture," she said, "I'm looking forward to a more results-oriented legislative process." That would include a timetable to revisit legislation, "A year out say, 'Did we achieve the goals of this legislation?'"

Throne-Holst defended her record of coalition building and her willingness to hear input when discussing controversial legislation.

Throne-Holst has also proposed a ward program, whereby each of the five town board members would be designated as the specific representative of an area of town, rotated on an annual basis, similar to the hamlet liaison structure in East Hampton, but with a more frequent rotation. "If one of us slacks off and moves into a district the people will know," Throne-Holst explained, "It adds a level of accountability and makes all of us step up. It will help us do our jobs better and help serve our constituents better."

Unlike the other candidates running in Southampton, Throne-Holst declined to directly endorse anyone for town council. "I would really love all four of them to be elected," she said, "I think we would make a great and balanced team. I certainly support the good work that [Democrat] Sally [Pope] has done; [Democrat] Bridget [Fleming] would be a great addition to the board; everyone knows the work [incumbent Republican] Chris [Nuzzi] and I have done; and I don't know [Republican] Jim [Malone] well, but he brings a lot to the table."

Throne-Holst is in the same position as Supervisor Kabot was in 2007 when she first ran for the top seat. Were Throne-Holst elected, the remaining two years of her term as councilwoman would have to be filled. Southampton voters will see a proposition on the ballot on November 3 to allow for a special election within 60 to 90 days after a seat is vacated. If the proposition is ratified, the special election will be paid for and run by the Suffolk County Board of Elections; if it is defeated Throne-Holst will have to appoint someone to fill the position until November 2010. While Throne-Holst is a proponent of the special election, were it to fail, "It would be important to look at the people who stepped up," she said, stating that she would prefer to appoint one of the runners-up from this year. "But to me, no matter what, a balanced board is a healthy board."