Results In Fire, Water Commissioner Races

Results are in for Tuesday’s elections for fire and water commissioner posts across town.

By Long Islander News staff
info@longislandergroup.com

Voters hit the poll Tuesday to cast their say in both fire and water commissioners in districts across town.

Few surprises in, low turnout for fire commissioner elections

Voters in the Centerport Fire District elected Jill Rizzuti to the 5-year term seat, with current incumbent Stanley Wertheimer stepping down from the position. Rizzuti was uncontested in the race and received 52 votes. Officials said that there were no write-ins.

The election for the Cold Spring Harbor Fire District filled four open seats on the board of fire commissioners. Each seat was uncontested.

Incumbent Kevin O’Brien was re-elected to serve the five-year fire commissioner position, receiving 57 votes; Edward Tracy was elected to serve as fire commissioner for a one-year unexpired term, receiving 56 votes; and James Walkin was elected to serve as fire commissioner with 66 votes for a two-year unexpired term.

There were also 17 write-in votes, with Brendan Fitts, who ran a write-in campaign, was elected to a three-year unexpired seat.

As for Commack, 13-year incumbent Tom McFadzen was re-elected with 90 votes. His third full, five-year term will begin in January.

In Dix Hills, incumbent Todd Cohen was re-elected to a five-year term. A total of 156 votes were cast; Cohen received 150 votes, two votes were cast for write-in candidates and four blank ballots were cast.

The open seat in East Northport, the site of the lone contested fire commissioner election in town, was won by newcomer William Reynolds.

Reynolds tallied 258 votes to defeat incumbent Nicholas Macedonio for a five-year term.

Phil Whiter, an incumbent for the Eaton’s Neck Fire District, was re-elected to the five-year fire commissioner position. Whiter ran unopposed for the position and received nine votes. Officials said there were no write-ins.

The Greenlawn Fire District had two unopposed races on Tuesday, with incumbent Scott Dalrymple running for the five-year term and incumbent Lawrence Ancewicz running for a one-year term.

Both candidates were elected, with Dalrymple receiving 73 votes and Ancewicz receiving 69 votes. There were no write-ins for the race, officials said.

Incumbent Jeffrey Schondebare ran unopposed in Halesite for a five-year term after winning a one-year term in 2016. Schondebare received all eight votes that were casted in the election.

In Huntington, incumbent and current chairman Edmund Erickson won an unopposed election in which 71 votes were cast; Erickson received 67 votes. Four write-in votes were also cast.

Unopposed in the Huntington Manor Fire District was incumbent Dane Martin, who was re-elected with 96 votes. He’ll begin his third, five-year term on the board in January.

Finally, in Melville, incumbent and 32-year department member James Schuler was re-elected with 44 of the 46 votes cast.

Upset in Greenlawn water race; South Huntington incumbent wins

There were contested elections in both the Greenlawn and South Huntington water districts on Tuesday.

In Greenlawn was a repeat of the 2014 election between four-term incumbent William Wieck and challengers John Clark and John Motta.

Clark emerged victorious this time around with 306 votes. Wieck earned 161 votes, and Motta earned 81.

Clark, who lives in Greenlawn, is a former deputy superintendent of the Huntington Highway Department, and also ran for highway superintendent earlier this year, but was defeated.

His three-year term on the Greenlawn Board of Water Commissioners with incumbents James Logan and John McLaughlin will begin in January.

Meanwhile in South Huntington, three-term incumbent Ciro DePalo was elected to his fourth three-year term with 224 votes. He defeated challenger Robert Achtziger, who earned 28 votes.