Former Commish Wants His Seat Back

Bruce Dombkowski wants to re-join the Bridgehampton Fire District Board of Fire Commissioners in the contested election on Tuesday.

Dombkowki, a 34-year member of the , will go head-to-head in the polls against , another 30 plus years member.

Dombkowski has already served as commissioner, for 10 years, from 1997 until 2007 when was unseated by last-minute write-in candidate Jeff Loucheim. He also served as chairman of the Board of Commissioners for three years.

He likes doing the job, he said. "I like helping my community as much as I can," he said and continued, "I want to keep a low tax rate."

Dombkowski was proud of his accomplishments as commissioner. Explaining that under his watch the department bought the adjacent baseball field, or colloquially referred to as "the little league diamond" from the Bridgehampton Union Free School District so that it could be used as a place for a Medevac helicopter to land.

He also boasted that during his time as commissioner, the district bought two new firetrucks and donated one of the trucks that was being replaced to emergency responders in Pearlington, MS, one of the communities devastated by hurricane Katrina in 2005. He and three other members of the department made the nearly 1,400 mile drive to deliver the truck.

Dombkowski was proud of what he called fiscal prudence that he said he exercised during his time in the district seat. "We achieved the lowest fire department tax rate in all of the Southampton Town," he said.

Financial stewardship, he said, was guided by a simple principle, "Be careful with the money ... don't spend it foolishly."

He was reluctant to outline any goals should he be elected. "Right now, I'm worried about the election. If I make it in, we'll go from there," he said.

However, he was optimistic about the future of the department especially in light of the that allows the district to buy adjacent property. He said, "I think it was a good deal. We needed it and now we have the opportunity to do something with it."

Dombkowski said that the department is an integral part of the community that he has lived in all his life and that the department has a great relationship with the community, saying, "I think the community is really satisfied. As far as I'm concerned, it's the best [fire department] around."

He explained that his father, uncle, several cousins and numerous friends have served in the department. And for his part, Dombkowski said that the he is proud to be a part of the department that he watched, "grow since [he] was a little kid." 

Registered voters of the Bridgehampton Fire District may vote at the on Tuesday from 6 to 9 p.m. Also on the ballot, is the treasurer position. Longtime treasurer Charles Butler, who is also the appointed secretary, is seeking re-election.

Bruce Dombkowski declined to have his photograph taken.