‘It is time to step aside,’ Mayor Nyce says
Saying goodbye after eight years, Greenport Mayor David Nyce confirmed Friday he will not seek a third term when his expires this spring.
“I am proud of the work we have accomplished and now it is time to step aside,” he told the Suffolk Times.
Mr. Nyce threw his support behind longtime trustee and deputy mayor George Hubbard, who just announced his bid for mayor.
“I am thrilled he is running,” Mr. Nyce said. “I have worked with him for eight years. He is a calm and patient person and he knows the village well.”
Trustee Mary Bess Phillips also voiced her support Friday for Mr. Hubbard in the 2015 mayoral election.
Since winning election for a second time in 2011, Mr. Nyce has strongly hinted that he wouldn’t seek reelection again, but never publicly announced he was officially stepping down. He now hopes to turn his attention to his carpentry business and his family, he said.
He hasn’t ruled out running for village office again in the future.
“I believe our system works best when more people are involved,” he said. “I have been there for eight years and it is time to step down. I may run for other positions in the future.”
Mr. Hubbard is the first to announce an official candidacy for the mayor’s seat.
Trustee David Murray’s seat is also up for grabs in the March 18 election.
So far, one Greenport resident has announced a run for trustee. Doug Roberts of Sixth Street said he hopes to improve communication between village government and the public if he is elected.
