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The Southampton Town Republican Party, already in the midst of a tumultuous election season, will soon be looking to new leadership to guide it through rough waters.
Chairman Marcus Stinchi, who has been at the party’s helm for five years, is expected to step away from the position later this month by not seeking reelection at the committee’s annual reorganization convention, committee Secretary Ann LaWall confirmed Monday. Ms. LaWall said she and committee Treasurer Chuck Seaman, who both serve at the pleasure of Mr. Stinchi, will also announce they are leaving their posts.
Mr. Stinchi did not return repeated calls for comment to his cell phone and business office.
Ernest Wruck, the committee’s vice chairman, is next in line for the chairman position and is expected to be elected at the convention in Hampton Bays on September 21.
News of the impending changes follows a series of recent party setbacks and challenges to Mr. Stinchi’s leadership. In May, the party rejected incumbent Southampton Town Supervisor Linda Kabot and instead endorsed Jim Malone, then chairman of the Conservative Party, as its candidate for supervisor, a move that divided the membership and resulted in Ms. Kabot preparing to wage a primary challenge for the nomination. After months of political sparring, the party unexpectedly reversed course and agreed to back Ms. Kabot, while Mr. Malone opted instead to seek a seat on the Town Board.
Then, just as the situation was settling down, Ms. Kabot was arrested on September 7 and charged with DWI. She refused to submit to a blood alcohol test and has vowed to fight the charges.
But Ms. LaWall said both instances are unconnected to Mr. Stinchi’s decision to step aside—his motivation is a desire to focus more attention on running his business, Stinchi Landscaping of Westhampton Beach. He will remain an active member of the town party, she said.
“I just think he has done it for a very long time and it was time to pass the baton,” Ms. LaWall said. “He’ll be there to offer Ernest assistance in any way he can.”
Mr. Wruck, 56, an Eastport resident and attorney with a practice in Patchogue, has served as vice chairman of the committee for one year and has been a party committeeman for numerous years.
On Monday, Mr. Wruck said he will seek the chairman position if Mr. Stinchi does walk away from the post next week. “If the present chairman decides not to run again, I will throw my hat into the ring,” he said.
Ms. LaWall said no committee members are expected to challenge Mr. Wruck for the top post.
A change in leadership of the committee is not a reflection of dissatisfaction over Mr. Stinchi’s leadership, Mr. Wruck said. The vice chairman called Mr. Stinchi a “good leader” and said that, were Mr. Stinchi to run again, “he would win by a landslide.”
Still, Mr. Wruck said news that Mr. Stinchi will step aside from the post is not surprising. The job of a chairman is often “thankless” and time consuming, he said, and Mr. Stinchi may have tired of the grind.
“I can understand that it can come to a point where people tire of it,” Mr. Wruck said. “I will say, without saying too much, that he has been thinking about this for a while.”
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Total comments by landarchi: 32
Total comments by pmofo: 34
Total comments by fidelis: 41
Actually, it looks like the Town GOP may now be headed in a better direction without Stinchim Seaman and LeWall, though I NEVER thought I'd see Ann LeWall step away from the party -- it's all she lives an breathe.
All you who would do a little dance at the prospect of Marcus Christopher Stinchi bowing out now should remember that just four years ago, shortly after assuming the Chairmanship, elected a full slate of his candidates -- at a time when no other ... more Town on Long Island delivered wins on all the GOP lines. That's a pretty good job by a landscaping kid in his 20s and early 30s.
He made some mistakes, too -- #1 being that he failed to maintain the strong GOP organization he had inherited.
So go ahead and make snarky comments -- the kid did the job under difficult circumstances, assuming the leadership due to his predecessor's sudden death.
Total comments by Frank Wheeler: 506
Attempting to re-write history, fidelis, or just slinging mud at anyone who isn't one of your prefered Democrats?
Kabot pretty much inherited the "worst financial disaster" from the Heaney administration -- and yes, she was a brief party of it.
But to say she is "responsible for the worst financial disaster in the Town's history," is a baseless charge, and shows a reckless disregard ... more for the truth.
Total comments by Frank Wheeler: 506
Total comments by North of Highway: 174
Total comments by EastEnd68: 173
Moreover, as we all know, when you are a chief executive, whether of General Motors or the United States or Southampton Town, if something goes wrong on your watch, you own it, you are responsible. It's not always fair -- some get credit that's not due, and some get blame that's not due -- but that´s the way it is, and it applies to Linda Kabot like any other CEO.
That's what I meant by saying Linda Kabot is responsible for the worst financial disaster in the Town's history. Despite what you say, it is neither re-writing history, nor slinging mud, nor a baseless charge, nor a reckless disregard for the truth -- indeed, it is the dismal truth. I understand there may be some sensitivity about the current depressed state of the local Republicans, but don't take it out on those who are simply telling it like it is.
Total comments by fidelis: 41
his last term. Don't misconstrue that Linda take any credit for pushing him out.
She may believe that she's that powerful but she's just a lame duck now.
Total comments by Uniblab: 6
Mrs. Kabot is by no means an innocent victim of the Press, the Democrats or the Old Guard GOP, but the Chief Fiscal Officer of the Town is the Supervisor, and in fairness -- which some where have no interest in -- look to Heaney as the principal architect of this fiscal ... more mess
Total comments by Frank Wheeler: 506
Where was Heaney as Chief Fiscal Officer?
Its pretty clear that Heaney/Kagel caused this mess. Although sorting through the improper practices and record keeping is taking time, finally the right thing is being done and the financial books are being reconciled the way they should have been all ... more along.
Total comments by ridiculous: 103
Total comments by hb guy: 5
We used to have Tony Gil to cover Flanders, but no more... the juice is East of the Canal.
So, yeah, Nuzzi looks like the class of the '09 Town Council races... Pope hasn't done much, Malone looks to be ineffactual ... more (just his being on that part of the ticket is a compromise!), and Fleming comes across as another doctrinaire Liberal Democrat at a time when we are in deep tax do-do!
Total comments by Frank Wheeler: 506
The ... more Planning Board has already given us the environmental disasters of Woodfield Gables in Speonk, Oakland Farms in Quiogue, Water Mill Station Center, and Trumpets catering in Eastport. But that´s not enough for Chris Nuzzi and his crew. They want to keep the scale tilted in favor of the developers who support them and against the community, so Chris keeps making these proposals. Great work, Chris.
What else? There's also Mr. Nuzzi´s foot-dragging opposition to the dark skies legislation, an idea whose time has already come in several neighboring communities (all of which have stricter lighting regulations than what's proposed for Southampton). It's also counter-intuitive for the business community that Mr. Nuzzi claims to represent, because dark skies will save the merchants money in the long run, by more efficient and lighter energy use.
That's it for now. More to come on the many accomplishments of Chris Nuzzi.
Total comments by Turkey Bridge: 152
The applications you cite as "environmental disasters" were underwent municipal review with public input, and any aggrieved residents or organizations certainly had recourse to an appellate process (starting with an Article 78).
Your critical comment doesn't stand scrutiny.
Total comments by Frank Wheeler: 506
Re the four environmental ... more disasters named in my comment above, there was public input, but only after the decision not to require an environmental review had already been made by the Planning Board. This is the cart-before-the-horse structural flaw that Sally Pope and others are working to fix by having the boards' procedures changed. Furthermore, it is specious to suggest that an appellate process is appropriate -- taxpayers should not have to resort to an Article 78 proceeding just to get the Planning Board to do its job of protecting the environment and the community.
Total comments by Turkey Bridge: 152
Where was Chris Nuzzi when Sally Pope sized up the sad financial situation ... more and called for a State Comprtoller's audit? Probably wondering how much the audit would embarass his godfather, Skip Heaney. (See, Mr. Wheeler, I do recognize that Heaney bears a major share of the blame for the financial crisis.) A better question is, where was Chris Nuzzi during the three years before Sally Pope joined the Board and asked where the money went? Why did't he ask that question in all that time? What was he thinking?
Where was Chris Nuzzi when Sally Pope exposed favoritism in the Highway Department with her questioning of Bill Masterson, which revealed that Masterson had released certain paving contractors from their contractual obligations to the Town, just because the price of asphalt spiked, without getting a thing for the Town in exchange? Probably, if he was awake, thinking that all those Democratic charges of cozy cronyism might just hit home this time.
It was Sally Pope who pointed out that Chris Nuzzi's proposals, to undermine the Planning Board and the Zoning Board of Appeals by cutting their membership or terms, missed the point entirely, because these measures did not address the real problem of insuring that the people are heard before any board decision on the environmental aspect is made.
It was Sally Pope who challenged Chris Nuzzi's tactic of trying to amend the dark skies legislation to death by proposing changes late in the game, which changes would generate more and more hearings, thus dragging out the process ad infinitum. It is Chris Nuzzi's notion, by the way, that responsible lighting should be achieved by incentive rather than by regulation. This is like saying that we shoud pay people to stop at traffic lights or observe building codes, or obey the law in general. The comunity should not have to reward people just for doing the right thing, but it seems to be all about rewards for Chris Nuzzi.
Total comments by fidelis: 41
If you think back to the years this deficit first started happening, it was during the years that the democrats had the majority on the town board.
Total comments by golfbuddy: 180
Do watch some town board meeting on chan 22. This proposal to change the planning and zba boards to 5 members instead of 7 will come up for public hearing on Oct 13. I'm sure it will pass this time. Any decision that needs to be made can be done with a 5 member board, just like the TB. A 5 member board will not in any way undermine any board. This proposal was good idea on Nuzzi's part and the dem's on the board will finally see the light and start learning how to be fiscally responsible. ... more
Total comments by golfbuddy: 180
Total comments by UNITED states CITIZEN: 109
Total comments by fidelis: 41
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