Bayville voters elected a familiar face for the village’s next mayor, with Paul Rupp receiving 519 write-in votes. Rupp previously served as mayor from 2014 through 2018 and was a village trustee for eight years prior.
All mayoral candidates in this year’s village election were write-ins. After John Taylor dropped out, five remaining candidates shared their priorities for the position and fielded questions from residents at a Meet the Candidates event on June 9. Rupp was not among those candidates, nor was current Mayor Steve Minicozzi.
Rupp said Wednesday he did not intend to run for mayor but was approached by multiple residents who asked if he would accept the office should they write him in.
“I said, ‘I’m not going to tell you who to vote for or what to do,’” he recounted. “’You have your own independent thinking, and you have your own choice’.” Rupp added that he told residents he would accept office if elected.
He wrote a Facebook post on Sunday night letting the community know he would accept the position if written in. Rupp outlined his priorities in the post as keeping the village “safe, secure and fiscally sound.” The post also applauded those who had declared candidacy.
Rena Bologna, Kevin Casey, Emily Harrison, Morris Ware Jr. and Brian Tedaldi spoke at the Meet the Candidates event.
Minicozzi received 382 write-in votes, coming in second to Rupp. Bologna came in third with 368. Three trustee seats were also available. Incumbents Anne Walsh and Aimee DiBartolomeo were re-elected. Walsh received 869 votes, and DiBartolomeo received 860. Michael Genova, a banking executive, won the third seat with 354 votes.
Rupp listed affordability, transparency and infrastructure as priorities one he takes office. He described himself as a fiscal conservative who aims to avoid raising taxes.
“The cost of living on people, it’s gone skyrocketing,” Rupp said. “There’s a lot of people struggling out there.”
He expressed a belief that residents should serve as trustee before running for mayor in order to learn about and experience the workings of village government. Having served as a trustee for eight years, Rupp said he learned a lot from former Mayors Victoria Siegel and Doug Watson.
Rupp outlined ways he plans to improve transparency, beginning with potentially changing the start time of Board of Trustees meetings to 7 p.m. to make it easier for residents to attend after work. He also said he plans to make himself accessible to residents and send out literature such as newsletters to keep the community informed.
One infrastructure project Rupp named was the repaving of Mountain Avenue. He described Bayville as “a special place to live.”
“It’s a safe and secure place,” Rupp said, “and a lot of people look out for each other.” He added that he intends to maintain that quality of life for residents. Rupp touted his relationships with Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder and the Bayville Fire Department as important to keeping the village safe and secure.
While Rupp said he did not originally plan to run for mayor, he is “elated” to have been elected and described being written in by so many as “an honor and a privilege.”
“I only want what’s best for the village,” Rupp said. “I’m not out for any personal achievements.”
Rupp will be installed as mayor on July 6.
