Mr. Thiele is a 1971 graduate of Pierson High School. He attended Cornell University and is a 1976 graduate of Southampton College of Long Island University. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree, summa cum laude, in political science and history. In 1979, the Sag Harbor native received his law degree from Albany Law School. He was admitted to the New York State Bar in 1980.

Fred began his career in government service in 1975 after he was selected by his college to participate in the New York state Assembly Intern Program. Upon graduation from law school in 1979, Mr. Thiele became counsel to Assemblyman John Behan and served in that capacity until 1982. Under Assemblyman Behan, Mr. Thiele was also an integral part of the Peconic County Study Committee, which reviewed the feasibility of establishing a a new county out of Suffolk’s five eastern towns.

From 1982-1987, Mr. Thiele was Southampton town attorney where he was involved in a number of town initiatives, including implementation of its five-acre zoning statute for open space and environmental protection, the Town Open Space Law, the Long Pond Greenbelt, affordable housing, the Freshwater Wetlands Law and the 1986 Open Space Bond Act.

Mr. Thiele was also East Hampton Town Planning Board attorney from 1982-1986. He was involved in the Grace Estate acquisition and drafted the first bond act pledging town funds for Hither Woods. He drafted legislation implementing East Hampton’s 70/30 Agricultural Land Preservation Program, water recharge protection study and affordable housing program. He also served as counsel to the East Hampton Town Zoning Board of Appeals in 1985.

In November 1987, Mr. Thiele scored a resounding victory by capturing 62 percent of the vote in his bid for the Suffolk County Legislature’s 16th District. As a freshman legislator, Mr. Thiele was appointed chairman of the Legislature’s Public Works and Transportation Committee.

One of the primary focuses of Mr. Thiele’s tenure was bringing fiscal responsibility to Suffolk County. In addition to being one of five legislators to oppose the record tax increase of 1989, he sponsored a variety of spending reduction and tax cut proposals, including the tax levy cap, flexible spending freeze and tax cutback bill. In 1990, he sponsored the Omnibus Budget Plan, which consolidated county bureaucracy, and restored essential public services while reducing property taxes. East End county taxes were reduced by over 25 percent between 1989 and 1991.

Legislator Thiele also chaired the Energy and Environment Committee in the Suffolk County Legislature. He sponsored legislation that resulted in 5,500 acres of Pine Barrens preservation. He spearheaded successful efforts to include the Peconic/Gardiners Bay system in the National Estuary Program.

In 1989, Legislator Thiele was re-elected with an overwhelming 75 percent of the vote, a more than 11,000 vote plurality, which was the largest in Suffolk County.

In November 1991, Mr. Thiele became Southampton town supervisor as an independent candidate, winning 47.3 percent of the vote in a four-way race. Under Fred’s leadership, town taxes and spending decreased for the first time in modern history, bringing much-needed stability to Southampton finances. During his first term as supervisor, the town moved forward on a number of important initiatives, including open space preservation, affordable housing, environmental protection, comprehensive long-term planning, economic development and government reform.

Supervisor Thiele served as chairman of the East End Supervisors and Mayors Association during 1992-1993. In this capacity, Fred spearheaded numerous initiatives relating to a variety of East End issues, including advocating for erosion abatement along coastal areas, measures to improve the navigability of the Shinnecock Inlet, Pine Barrens protection and evaluating the feasibility of creating Peconic County.

In November 1993, Supervisor Thiele was overwhelmingly re-elected to a second term with 70 percent of the vote. Fred continued implementing his plans to reorganize town government to increase efficiency, improve services and reduce town spending. With the adoption of the town’s 1995 operating and capital budget, Fred set an unprecedented record by successfully reducing property taxes for three consecutive years. Fred also sponsored a number of new initiatives to preserve Southampton’s rural character while enhancing the local economy.

Supervisor Thiele served as a member of the Policy Committee for the Peconic Estuary management study, which is responsible for the development and implementation of the management plan for the Peconic Estuary system under the National Estuary Program. In addition, Fred continues to serve on the board of directors of the East End Economic and Environmental Task Force, which commissioned the Peconic County fiscal feasibility study and promotes numerous issues, projects and programs to benefit the East End’s key industries: agriculture, commercial fishing and tourism. Mr. Thiele also served as a commissioner for the state Pine Barrens Commission, an agency charged with creating a 50,000-acre Pine Barrens preserve.

In 1995, Mr. Thiele was elected to the New York state Assembly from the 2nd Assembly District in a special election to fill the seat vacated by former Assemblyman John Behan. The 2nd Assembly District includes the towns of East Hampton and Southampton, and the southeastern portion of the town of Brookhaven. Mr. Thiele has been re-elected to the state Assembly by wide margins every two years since 1996.

Assemblyman Thiele has demonstrated a wide area of interests and accomplishments as an assemblyman. He drafted and was a prime sponsor of legislation creating the Peconic Bay Community Preservation Fund Act, which authorized the five towns in the region to establish dedicated funds financed by a 2 percent real estate transfer tax. The money is used for land acquisition for open space, farmland and historic preservation, as well as recreational purposes. This program, overwhelmingly approved in a public referendum in 1998, has generated more than $80 million for land preservation efforts and has resulted in the preservation of thousands of acres of sensitive lands.

Other environmental initiatives undertaken by Mr. Thiele include obtaining $30 million in state funds for Peconic Bay and South Shore Estuary improvement projects, the first state funding for farmland preservation, and state acquisition of critical environmental parcels at Shadmoor and the Sanctuary in Montauk.

Through Mr. Thiele’s intervention, the state Environmental Facilities Corporation has played an increased role in protecting watersheds and providing public water on eastern Long Island.

Mr. Thiele has also been very involved in transportation issues, including reconstruction of Route 27 from Bridgehampton to Montauk, and Route 24 from Hampton Bays to Riverhead. He spearheaded the first traffic calming project in New York state – at Route 114 in North Haven. In addition, he has championed alternative transportation options such as a South Fork bike path and greater use of rail and bus opportunities on the South Fork.

Fred has also focused on government reform. He has been the leader in efforts to create Peconic County from Long Island’s five most eastern towns. Further, he has sponsored initiative and referendum legislation and state budget-reform initiatives, and he favors establishment of public financing of state campaigns.

Mr. Thiele continues his efforts to ensure fiscal responsibility on all levels of government. He has supported successful initiatives to reduce income taxes and eliminate the state estate and gift taxes. He was an original proponent of the School Tax Relief (STAR) program to reduce school taxes. He has also sponsored debt reform initiatives as an assemblyman.

Finally, Mr. Thiele has focused on the issue of affordable housing by sponsoring legislation empowering local governments to establish dedicated community housing funds for the creation of affordable housing and to assist first-time homebuyers. He is also sponsoring legislation authorizing the creation of local housing authorities.

Mr. Thiele is currently the ranking minority member on the Assembly Education Committee, and is also a member of the Ways and Means, Environmental Conservation and Housing committees. He is also vice chairman of the Assembly Minority Joint Conference Committee.

2004 GENERAL ELECTION RESULTS: