Democrats Appoint Party Member To Vacant Town Board Seat

Joan Cergol, right, is sworn in last night by Town Clerk Jo-Ann Raia. (Long Islander News photo/Connor Beach)

By Connor Beach
cbeach@longislanergroup.com

Three Democratic Huntington Town Board members, two of whom are outgoing, appointed last night a fellow party member to the seat vacated by Susan Berland, also a Democrat.

The move came in the current, majority-Democrat town board’s final meeting together before the start of the New Year, when two Republicans are set to begin their terms.

Joan Cergol, a Democrat and director of the Huntington Community Development Agency, has been appointed to the post previously occupied by Berland, who was elected to the Suffolk Legislature in November.

Cergol said after the meeting, “I have been serving the residents of this town for 16 years with commitment, dedication, compassion and enthusiasm, and I think this is a fantastic opportunity to take that service to a new level as we move forward in a new direction.”

Cergol begins a one-year term, and could run next year for election to the final year in what was Berland’s four-year term.

Berland, who is moving on to represent the county’s 16th legislative district, officially resigned at the tail end of a nearly four-hour meeting.

“It has been a privilege to serve the people of the town of Huntington for the past 16 years,” Berland said. “I am thankful for having had that opportunity, and I wish the incoming town board much success.”

Councilman Mark Cuthbertson, a Democrat who was re-elected in November, made a motion to appoint Cergol. The resolution was seconded by outgoing Councilwoman Tracey Edwards, a Democrat who lost her bid for the Huntington Supervisor post to Republican State Assemblyman Chad Lupinacci last month.

Cuthbertson, Edwards and outgoing Supervisor and Democrat Frank Petrone passed the motion, 3-1, with Independence Party member Eugene Cook the lone dissenter.

Cook said on the motion, “The voters of the Town of Huntington voted for a new direction and you’re taking that away from them. This should be going out to the new board.”

Cook similarly pulled from the agenda his proposal to establish term limits for the town’s elected officials. He said it should be up to the incoming board, which will also include Republican Ed Smyth, to “vote on” next month.

Also sworn in after the meeting was Jillian Guthman-Abadom, the town’s new receiver of taxes. Guthman-Abadom was appointed, 4-1, to replace Ester Bivona, who retired Nov. 29, according to a letter received by the town last month.

A Huntington-based attorney, Guthman-Abadom was previously the director of the town’s Department of Human Services.