Five Votes Got Newcomer Elected in Sag Harbor

Three were vying for two Sag Harbor Village Board seats in Tuesday night'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. That was not enough to win a seat on the board. That went to H. Aidan Corish, a political newcomer, who received 202 votes.

There were three write-in votes, one each for Jeff Peters, Thomas Schiavoni, and Chris Hubbard. 

The results were announced around 9:30 p.m., about a half-hour after the polls closed, when they were written on a board inside the meeting room at the Sag Harbor Firehouse. Mr. Gardella shook Mr. Corish's hand before leaving. 

Mr. Corish, the founder of a brand design firm, will replace Ed Deyermond on the board. Mr. Deyermond is stepping down at the end of the month. He said the win was very exciting. "It was very close, as you can see, and I'm delighted to be a part of the board. 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 reach out to the public and 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 was re-elected to a second term. She ran unopposed and received 276 votes. There were several write-in candidates, some of whom do not reside inside the village limits. 

Additionally, a proposition handily passed Tuesday night. Voters approved an increase to a state-approved benefit program known as LOSAP, which allows Fire Department 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. 

Now, as of Jan. 1, 2018, volunteers that 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.