Town Clerk, Town of Riverhead: James M. Wooten

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JAMES M. WOOTEN

Republican

BACKGROUND:

• Wooten, 64, of Riverhead, is also running on the Conservative line. He was a member of the Riverhead Town Council from 2007 to 2019 until he was term-limited at 12 years. He then served six months as a part-time assistant in outgoing Supervisor Yvette Aguiar’s office in 2020, helping coordinate vaccination shots.
• He retired as a Riverhead Town police officer in 2005, with 23 years of service.
• He was named Crime Prevention Officer of the Year by New York State in 1996 for his work on Neighborhood Watch programs.

ISSUES:

• As clerk, Wooten said he would work on implementing new state computer programs for tracking vital records. The systems are a more efficient way to update vital records the clerk’s office tracks with the state, he said.
• He said he enjoys history and will work to finish archiving town records, a task he said is about 30% complete under Diane Wilhelm, who is retiring as town clerk.
• The clerk’s office operates with two full-time staffers and a part-time bilingual Spanish-speaking staffer, and he said he will seek to have the part-time bilingual position made full time.