Five Votes Decide Race
Three candidates were vying for two seats on the Sag Harbor Village Board in Tuesday’s election, and just five votes separated the winner of the second seat from the third-place finisher.
Ken O’Donnell, the only incumbent running, was also the highest vote getter, with 238 cast for him. His running mate, Thomas Gardella, the former Sag Harbor Fire Department chief, received 197 votes, falling behind H. Aidan Corish, a political newcomer, who received 202 votes and the second seat on the board.
“It just goes to show you that in a small village, every vote counts,” Mr. O’Donnell said yesterday. As for his own win, he said, “I’m definitely very excited and feel very grateful to have gotten a vote of confidence from the Sag Harbor residents.”
There were three write-in votes, one each for Jeff Peters, Thomas Schiavoni, and Chris Hubbard.
The polls closed at 9 p.m., and at about 9:30, the results were written on a board inside the meeting room at the Sag Harbor Firehouse. Mr. Gardella shook Mr. Corish’s hand before leaving.
Although Mr. Gardella was only five votes short of winning the seat, he said he has no hard feelings. “I don’t know Aidan that well, but he is a very nice and likable guy,” Mr. Gardella said. “He seems like an honest man and I hope he does well for the village.” Mr. Gardella plans to remain active in community matters and will continue to help with various volunteer work.
Mr. Corish, the founder of a brand design firm, will replace Ed Deyermond, who is stepping down at the end of the month.
“It was very close, as you can see, and I’m delighted to be a part of the board,” Mr. Corish said. I’m looking forward to working with the board. . . . I’m looking forward to working with the village and doing my very best for everybody that lives in Sag Harbor and calls Sag Harbor home.”
Among his priorities, he said, is to get more people involved in village government, as well as to focus on long-term planning. “We need to strategize for the village as to what Sag Harbor is going to be like in 2027.”
Meanwhile, Village Mayor Sandra Schroeder, who ran unopposed, was re-elected to a second term with 276 votes. There were several write-in candidates, one of whom do not reside within village limits.
Additionally, voters overwhelmingly approved an increase to a state-approved benefit program for Fire Department volunteers. The program, known by the acronym LOSAP, allows volunteers to receive a financial incentive based on the number of years they have served once they reach retirement age. The vote was 316 to 38.
For Mr. Gardella, the passing of the proposition is a victory of sorts. “I pushed to get it on the ballot, and although I personally lost, I feel that I pushed for something. It was good and bad news last night.”
With the passage of the proposition, as of Jan. 1, 2018, volunteers who are at least 65 years old will receive $10 to $30 more per month depending on the number of years of service they have earned under the point system. This amendment will cost an additional $86,000 a year, an average cost of $521 per firefighter.