Newly elected Southold Town officials take oath of office
Southold Town on Friday welcomed some new faces and several incumbents during a swearing-in ceremony at the Recreation Center in Peconic for the 11 officials elected last November.
The government leaders, joined by their families, took the oath of office as Town Justice Dan Ross presided over the event, which was attended by more than three dozen people.
Greenport native Alexa Suess and Fishers Island resident Kate Stevens joined the Town Board along with incumbent Brian Mealy. The three Democrats give the board a 5-1 majority.
Returning Trustees Liz Gillooly and Eric Sepenoski welcomed newcomer Joe Finora to the vital group.
Others sworn in included incumbent Denis Noncarrow as Town Clerk, Eileen Powers as Town Justice, Highway Superintendent Dan Goodwin, along with newcomers for Town Assessor Leah Tillman Sullivan and Ken Poliwoda.
“How encouraging it is to see these newly elected and reelected people, people who are part of our town, who live here and work here and appreciate the town,” Supervisor Al Krupski said. “These are elected officials who will work together for every resident. They’re neighbors and friends, and now all public servants.”
Judge Ross commended all candidates who ran for office in November, including those who ended up falling short.
“It takes two to have an election, and a political campaign is not an easy thing to do,” he said. “There’s a bit of a public service in that itself.”
He also thanked the voters.
“Without voters and without candidates we have no democracy, and it’s hard to imagine living in a place without a democracy,” Judge Ross added. “Our local democracy, our state democracy, our national democracy — we need to take care of it. We need to nurture it. It’s like a business. It’s like family. It’s like growing crops. You’ve got to take care of it.”
