Three Run Uncontested In Westhampton Beach

Westhampton Beach Village Mayor Maria Moore and Village Board members Ralph Urban and Stephen Frano are unopposed in their reelection bids next month.

The election will be held on Friday, June 17, from noon to 9 p.m. at Village Hall.

All three said they were looking forward to another two years on the board, and seeing the completion of several projects in the village, including the realization of the multimillion-dollar sewer project that is currently underway.

The three have been on the board for multiple terms, and ran uncontested races in both 2018 and 2020. Urban, the deputy mayor, has held his seat since first being elected in 2012. Frano was first elected to the board in 2016, and Moore has been mayor since her first election in 2014.

Moore, an attorney, is largely credited with directing the board in the completion of the village’s recent renaissance through the downtown revitalization and sewer district projects.

“Serving the village as its mayor is a privilege for which I am grateful every day,” she said. “I am running again this year, with trustees Urban and Frano, because there is more work to be done.

“As we finish up Phase 1 of the sewer project that addresses wastewater in the downtown, we are preparing proposals to move forward with the next phases. We are also working with a consultant on a local waterfront revitalization plan to comprehensively evaluate the village’s natural resources, watershed, waste and storm water management, flooding and erosion management, coastal zoning capital projects geared towards enhanced connectivity, bike and walking paths, and canal dredging.”

Frano, who was born in Huntington, moved to the village when he was 2 years old and attended school in the village. He is the father of two and boasts three “beautiful granddaughters.” He retired in 2016 after a long career in public safety with Southampton Town and the Village Police before running for the Village Board.

He counts among the board’s accomplishments the infrastructure projects in recent years, including addressing roadway runoff and septic waste, rebuilding the village marina and the revitalization of Main Street. “There still is work to be done, which is why I’m running for another term,” he said. “We all may not agree on everything, but we all work together to find the appropriate solution.”

Urban, a Pasadena, California, native, moved to the village while a junior in high school. He’s a Vietnam War veteran and taught in the Montauk School District for 36 years. He is married with two children and two grandchildren, who live in the village and in East Quogue.

He credits the Village Board in his decade in office with the development of Glovers Park, the redevelopment of the marina, a new gazebo on the Village Green, renovation of Rogers Beach, Main Street renovations and the sewer project.

The biggest reason he is seeking reelection is to see the sewer project to completion, he said. “There always seems to be more projects that need attention.”

Likewise, Moore said she was prepared to work hard for the village over the next two years.

“I hope to spend the next two years working with all four of our dedicated trustees — Ralph Urban, Rob Rubio, Brian Tymann and Stephen Frano — and the hard-working employees and appointed board members who serve our village every day,” she said. “With the team still in place, we anticipate delivering more of the same.”