Town of Huntington: Fire Commissioner Elections Largely Uncontested
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Fire Commissioner elections across the Town of Huntington will take place on Tuesday, Dec. 12.
By Long Islander News Staff
info@longislandergroup.com
Polls across the Town of Huntington will be open Tuesday, Dec. 12 for Fire Commissioner elections, however many of the elections are uncontested.
The sole contested Fire Commissioner election is found in East Northport, where incumbent Nicholas Macedonio faces challenger William Reynolds. They are vying for a five-year term.
Macedonio, current board chairman, who could not be reached before deadline Wednesday, is seeking re-election to what would be his third term on the board. He is an ex-chief and 36-year member of the East Northport Fire Department.
Reynolds, a lifelong East Northport resident and a supervisor in the Town of Huntington’s highway department, has never served as a fire commissioner, but has 31 years of experience with the East Northport Fire Department, including a stint as president.
“I want to get the men and women who volunteer with the fire department whatever they need, and work with the district manager to get his employees whatever they need,” Reynolds said.
If elected, the 52-year-old Reynolds said he would work with the four other commissioners to best serve the district.
Polls will be open from 3-9 p.m. at East Northport Fire House, which is located at 1 Ninth Ave. in East Northport.
Elsewhere across town candidates do not face opposition in their respective elections.
Cold Spring Harbor:
In Cold Spring Harbor, two-term incumbent Kevin O’Brien is seeking re-election to a five-year seat.
O’Brien, 60, has been a firefighter for 12 years and is an attorney with Mineola-based Murphy Bartol & O’Brien. He resides in Huntington with his wife and one of his three children.
He’s seeking re-election because he cares about the community and believes his skillset as an attorney benefits the board, O’Brien said.
“I know how to read and pour over documents and contracts and the like,” he said. “As a resident, I’m protecting my own family and the families of my fellow neighbors, and I’m not afraid to speak up and ask questions.”
O’Brien said the board is typically faced with financial challenges to overcome.
“We’re in a largely residential area with not as much commercial base,” he added. “We have to provide the level of protection we’re all accustomed to and all expect in a cost-effective manner, while making sure rescue calls are adequately addressed.”
Also running for seats on the board are Edward Tracy and James Walkin, both of whom were appointed this year to vacated seats.
Tracy is running unopposed for a one-year term, and Walkin is unopposed for a two-year term.
Neither Tracy nor Walkin returned a request for comment before deadline.
Polls will be open from 6-9 p.m. at the 2 Main St. firehouse in Cold Spring Harbor.
Centerport:
As for Centerport, Jill Rizzuti is running unopposed for a five-year term. Incumbent Stanley Wertheimer is not seeking re-election.
Rizzuti did not return a request for comment before deadline.
Polls will be open from 3-9 p.m. at the 9 Park Circle firehouse in Centerport.
Commack:
Tom McFadzen, a 13-year incumbent on Commack’s board of fire commissioners, is unopposed in his quest for re-election to what would be his third full term.
McFadzen, 63, a father of four daughters, is a retired NYPD detective and a 46-year member of the Commack Fire Department, serving in numerous roles.
“I have a deep sense of community pride,” McFadzen said, adding that serving on the board is “one of the ways I can help.”
McFadzen said his continued goals as a fire commissioner are to maintain both a balanced budget and standard of fire safety and training. And he plans to do it while working to keep taxes low, within the state’s tax levy cap, as the district has done each of the years he’s been on the board.
“We’re trying to stretch as best we can, but we’re not cutting corners. We still have the best training, best equipment and get the job done,” he said. “It is tough, and it is tight, but that’s where you have to have good people in place, and we have great people.”
McFadzen is also a fraud investigator for Allstate Insurance, where he’s worked for 17 years.
Polls will be open from 3-9 p.m. at the main fire house at 6309 Jericho Turnpike in Commack.
Dix Hills:
In Dix Hills, incumbent Todd Cohen is running unopposed for what would be his second five-year term.
Cohen, 49, who owns a security software company, is also a 30-year member of the Dix Hills Fire Department.
“I want to continue providing the best rescue and fire protection to our community,” he said.
Polls will be open at Headquarters Fire House, located at 115 East Deer Park Road in Dix Hills, from 4-9 p.m.
Eaton's Neck:
Phil Whiter, an incumbent for the Eaton’s Neck Fire District, is seeking re-election to a five-year seat. Whiter, who did not return a request for comment before deadline, is running unopposed.
Polls will be open from 3 p.m.-9 p.m. at 55 Eatons Neck Road in Northport.
Greenlawn:
In Greenlawn, there are two uncontested races.
Scott Dalrymple, an incumbent, is seeking a five-year term, while Lawrence Ancewicz, also an incumbent, is seeking a one-year term.
Neither Ancewicz nor Dalrymple returned a request for comment before deadline.
Polls will be open from 6-9 p.m. at the Greenlawn Firehouse, which is located at 23 Boulevard Ave. in Greenlawn.
Halesite:
Incumbent Jeffrey Schondebare is running unchallenged for a five-year term as commissioner of the Halesite Fire District. Schondebare, who did not return a request for comment before deadline, was elected last year to a one-year term.
Polls will be open at the Halesite Firehouse at 1 New York Ave. in Huntington from 6-9 p.m.
Huntington:
Current chairman and incumbent Edmund Erickson is running unopposed for re-election in the Huntington Fire District. Erickson was first elected as commissioner in 2003, and is running for another five-year term.
Erickson, who did not return a request for comment before deadline, is a 50-year member of the Huntington Fire Department and a retired Suffolk County Police Officer.
Poll will be open from 3-9 p.m. at Huntington Fire House, which is located at 1 Leverich Place in Huntington.
Huntington Manor:
Also unopposed in the Huntington Manor Fire District is Dane Martin, who is seeking his third term as fire commissioner.
In a statement, Martin said his goal for what is one of the busiest fire departments in Suffolk County is to “continually provide the residents with the highest quality of protection and ensure our members maintain the highest level of training possible.”
He added, “It is my purpose to afford the latest safety equipment available to attain these goals.”
Martin moved into the area as a young child in 1951, graduating from Walt Whitman High School in 1980. He joined the Huntington Manor Fire Department 36 years ago and served a two-year term as chief before he was elected to the board of commissioners in 2007.
“A strong focus of mine has been placed on upgrading the communication systems, including the advancement of our IT resources,” Martin said. “This effort in updating and maintaining resources is accomplished all while remaining under the two percent tax cap, which our district has maintained since the law’s inception in 2011.”
Martin added, “I am truly focused on maintaining the smooth operation and maintenance of the Huntington Manor Fire District.”
Polls will be open from 3-9 p.m. at headquarters, which is located at 1650 New York Ave. in Huntington Station.
Melville:
Lastly, in Melville, incumbent James Schuler, a 32-year department member, is seeking re-election to what would be his second five-year term.
Schuler did not return a request for comment before deadline.
Polls will open at headquarters, located at 531 Sweet Hollow Road in Melville, from 3-9 p.m.
Editor's note: Jill Rizzuti is running unopposed for a five-year term on the Centerport Board of Fire Commissioners.
An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated Rizzuti's first name.
