Candidates for Bayville mayor and village trustee shared their priorities for the village at a Meet the Candidates night, a week after the village was the focus of national media coverage when it was announced that no one was running for mayor. That led to the ad hoc event on Tuesday, at which a handful of residents, responding to the news, an-nounced their willingness to serve as write-in candidates for mayor.
The event, hosted by the Bayville Chamber of Commerce at the Crescent Beach Club, gave residents a chance to hear from the unique slate of candidates ahead of next Tuesday’s election.
The forum opened with John Taylor, a former village trustee who had declared his candidacy for mayor less than two days earlier, announcing that he was withdrawing from consideration.
Taylor, who owned an advertising agency before he retired, explained that family circumstances had forced him to step aside: His wife had been hospitalized with complications from surgery, and was being transferred to another facility in Manhattan that evening for more intensive care.
“I love my work — I love my wife more,” Taylor said. “She needs me in a way that the village can’t compete, so tonight I’m withdrawing my name from consideration as a write-in candidate.”
Taylor endorsed current Mayor Steve Minicozzi as yet another write-in candidate, although Minicozzi was not among the declared candidates.
Three trustee seats are on the ballot this year in addition to the mayoralty. Four candidates are running for trustee, including two write-in candidates. They and the remaining mayoral candidates, all of whom had announced their candidacy in the past two weeks, took part in the forum.
Natalie Murray, a write-in candidate for trustee and secretary to the Town of Oyster Bay comptroller, highlighted her government experience and long family ties to Bayville.
“I love this town,” Murray, 48, said. “Out of all the places that I’ve lived, it’s my favorite.”
Her work experience, she said, includes managing office operations, overseeing internship programs and working in medical billing and private business management.
Another write-in trustee candidate for trustee, Michael Genova, a banking executive, emphasized fiscal responsibility, public service and preserving the village’s character.
“Everyone in this room has something in common,” Genova said. “We love Bayville. We care about Bayville. We want to protect Bayville.”
Genova said that his financial management experience and municipal banking background would serve him well as a trustee.
Incumbent Trustee Anne Walsh, 62, who is seeking re-election, pointed to her decades of experience in insurance claims management and her four years of work on the village board. Among the initiatives she cited was the implementation of a July Fourth curfew in response to complaints from residents.
“I feel that I’ve been able to listen to residents,” Walsh said, “and help them with any questions that they might have.”
Walsh also read a statement on behalf of Trustee Aimee DiBartolomeo, 54, who was unable to attend because of her daughter’s graduation. DiBartolomeo’s statement highlighted her work on fiscal management, transparency and community events.
The five remaining mayoral candidates took up the bulk of the evening, introducing themselves, answering two prepared questions, and taking turns answering questions from the crowd.
Brian Tedaldi, 50, a lifelong Bayville resident and a limousine business owner, said he wanted to revitalize the village while preserving its character. Tedaldi identified road maintenance, economic revitalization and youth behavior issues as priorities. He also contended that private roads could be improved through large-scale paving efforts and grant funding.
“In my campaign, I said, ‘Make Bayville great again,’” Tedaldi said. “I want to make Bayville great again, to bring that back.”
Emily Harrison, an Army veteran and business executive who has lived in Bayville for four years, said she was focused on transparent government and long-term planning.
“You deserve leadership that is transparent, accountable,” Harrison, 35, said, “and entirely focused on delivering results.”
Morris Ware Jr., 47, who has lived in Bayville for nine years and is a sanitation union vice president in the Town of Hempstead, pointed to his experience in local government and labor leadership.
“What I do every day is service 3,000 members in our group, and I’m responsible for about 800 of them,” Ware said. “I handle problems, I deal with government, I get things done.”
Former Trustee and Deputy Mayor Reina Bologna stressed her experience in village government and school administration. Bologna, 76, a former assistant superintendent of schools, said that maintaining Bayville’s quality of life and improving the appearance of village gateways would be priorities.
“I’m afraid of a write-in vote,” she added. “I’m afraid that the village is not going to be in safe hands.”
Kevin Casey, 42, a paralegal and former legislative director for the Suffolk County Legislature, focused on infrastructure, public safety and economic development. Casey proposed repaving private roads, pursuing additional grant funding, increasing film production revenue and exploring a policing agreement with neighboring villages.
“I will not raise taxes my first term in office,” Casey said. “End of story.”
Residents had questions for the candidates on a range of topics — and Bayville Arts Council Chair Philip Pecorino asked Minicozzi whether he would serve if elected with write-in votes.
“If I am written in, yes,” the mayor said. “I will accept the position for a short period of time in order to give the village a chance to hold a special election so that candidates can file petitions and campaign properly.”
The June 16 election will take place at the Bayville Fire Company Firehouse, at 258 Bayville Ave., from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
