Government

Town Board will appoint new Trustee in January

Geoffrey Wells (left) and Robert Ghosio.

Elections are over, but there is still one more town position up for grabs. After Republican Bob Ghosio won in his bid for Town Board earlier this month, his seat on the town’s Board of Trustees will become vacant.

Now, the current Town Board is tasked with appointing his replacement.

Southold Supervisor Scott Russell said the Town Board is hoping to fill the vacant seat after Jan. 1 — when the incoming elected officials are sworn into office. But there are currently no candidates in mind for the position, he said.

“We have plenty of time to discuss the issue and to decide the direction we’re going to go in,” Mr. Russell said. “We haven’t even had a discussion about it.”

Mr. Ghosio, 50, of Greenport easily won the Town Board seat along with incumbent running mate Jim Dinzio. Incumbent Republican trustees John Bredemeyer and Mike Domino also both won re-election easily. And in the closest town race on election night, Republican Trustee candidate Charles Sanders of Greenport was elected to the seat left open after two-term incumbent Dave Bergen did not receive the Republican nomination this time around.

Mr. Sanders edged Democrat Geoffrey Wells, 60, by just 578 votes. It was the slimmest margin of defeat for a losing candidate in a Trustee race since 2001, when Republican candidate Henry Smith was defeated by just 294 votes for a third open seat.

Mr. Russell earlier this month said that Mr. Wells is a viable candidate for the vacant Trustee position, but noted that Town Board members, all Republicans, had not made any decisions yet.

“I think there are lots of viable candidates in the community and [Geoffrey Wells] is certainly one,” Mr. Russell said.

Reached by phone following the election, Mr. Wells said he would consider taking the open position, if it were offered.

Town Board members said they would consider candidates who have previously sought office as well as people with interest and qualifications who have never entered the political arena.

“We have to look at everybody and be open-minded to pick the best possible candidate we can,” Mr. Russell said.

A special election for the final year of the term will then be held in November, Republican Committee chairman Peter McGreevy said.

[email protected]