Board Enacts Term Limits, Despite Pushback

Town Clerk Jo-Ann Raia.

Above, the Huntington Town Board listens to speakers during the public portion of Tuesday’s meeting.

By Connor Beach
cbeach@longislandergroup.com

After months of delays and debate, the Huntington Town Board approved Tuesday night its legislation to enact term limits for all elected officials.

Effective retroactively to officials elected last year, and those elected moving forward, the town supervisor, council members, receiver of taxes, clerk and highway superintendent will be limited to a maximum of three consecutive four-year terms.

While there was no public hearing scheduled before Tuesday’s vote — the board previously held a public hearing this past December — an impromptu hearing developed.

Seventeen speakers, including Town Clerk Jo-Ann Raia, took to the microphone during the public portion of the meeting, each to voice their opposition of the legislation for its inclusion of non-voting positions, town clerk, receiver of taxes and highway superintendent.

Raia asked the town board, “Have any of you spent time in the town clerk’s and the tax receiver’s office to actually see the work we do, and what we are legally responsible for?”

Councilwoman Joan Cergol, citing that opposition, was the lone board member to vote against the legislation.

She said after the meeting in an interview, “I didn’t oppose term limits for the policy makers — I’m fine with that. I actually do oppose them for the non-policy makers… I can wholly understand the people who are technicians in government are more efficient the longer they’re in office.”

Councilman Eugene Cook, who penned the legislation’s adopted form, which he first proposed last summer, called the move “great.”

“I think it’s the right thing for the people,” Cook said.

With the approval, Supervisor Chad Lupinacci fulfilled one of his top campaign promises, and defended the inclusion of non-voting officials. “I always felt that if you instituted term limits at a certain level of government, they should apply to all the elected officials.”

Lupinacci also noted that the legislation may need to be amended as the town’s legal counsel was “still blurry” on whether or not it could be legally applied to those elected in 2017.