News

Fire district election surprise with write-ins

REPORTER FILE PHOTO | Fire commissioner election results are in from Tuesday evening’s election at the Center Firehouse.

Richard Surozenski and Andy Reeve won their bids to return as Shelter Island Fire Commissioners Tuesday night, but in a surprising turn of events there were several write-in ballots.

Mr. Surozenski scored a total of 70 votes in his bid to serve another five years while newcomer Andy Reeve garnered 95 votes. Mr. Reeve became a commissioner  last May when he was appointed after the resignation of Ron Jernick. Mr. Reeve will serve a four-year term.

Commission Secretary Jackie Tuttle  reported Wednesday morning  that 29 votes were tallied as write-ins for John Beresky, a 39-year-old New York City firefighter. But Chief. D’Amato said the sheets he saw recorded 35 votes for Mr. Beresky, who, the chief said, joined the department within the last year or two.

Ms. Tuttle reported a single vote for Joy Bausman, Emergency Medical Service volunteer director. Chief. D’Amato said there were others who garnered a single write-in vote.

“I’m very surprised,” Mr. Surozenski said about the write-in campaign for Mr. Beresky. “We’re neighbors — that sort of hurts,” he said. “I’m a little disappointed, but I’m glad I won, thank everybody who voted for me and I’m going to do the best I can for the next five years.”

At the same time, he acknowledged, without getting specific, that there’s “a lot of stuff going on in the department.” As reported in the November 29 Reporter, simmering tensions between the commissioners and some members of the department came to a head at last month’s meeting during a discussion of work that needs to be done at the Shelter Island Heights Firehouse.

What concerned Fire Department Secretary Arthur Bloom, Chief D’Amato and First Assistant Chief Will Anderson was  commissioners were ready to award a contract for repairs when there had been no specifications drawn on the project and three bids appeared to be very different in price and scope.

Commissioners finally bowed to the department members and delayed the work which they seek specs and rebidding of the project.