In fact Trustee Paul Robinson received 784 votes and his rival Roy Stevenson was only 26 votes behind with 758 votes. A recount was requested and the Mayor's office informed us that this will be held on Thursday June 28.
Also the hearing on a law suit launched by neighbors of the proposed hiring site on Aldrich Lane and the counter suit launched by the Coalition for a Worklink Center has been postponed for the third time to July 11.
The following is adapted (with a correction) from a news report broadcast on WPKN 89.5 /WPKM 88.7 local news Tuesday June 19 at 6:30pm:
Last Friday voters in Southampton Village re-elected Mayor Mark Epley who became the target of anti-immigrant protesters after he designated a local park as an open air hiring site for day-laborers.
The Mayor and one of his running mates - Trustee Nancy McGann were re-elected by comfortable margins. Trustee Paul Robinson was 26 votes ahead of rival Roy Stevenson. Since the vote was so close, a recount was requested and is scheduled for Thursday, June 28.
The Mayor defeated James McFarlane who is a Village Trustee. McFarlane had opposed use of the park for a hiring site.
Other issues such as Village approval of McMansions on small lots were debated, but Mayor Epley credited his stance on the hiring site for his re-election.
Last month Epley and Village Trustees passed a law prohibiting targeted demonstrations in front of residences after anti-immigrant protesters picketed at his home on several Saturdays.
Village Trustee Bonnie Cannon spoke at a recent Board Meeting. She lauded the Mayor for his stance on the day-laborer issue.
Ms. Cannon said:
"The bottom line is that this has been here for six years. No one has had a solution. No one has done anything. This Mayor was courageous enough to do something." *
A hearing on the law suite about use of the park land has been postponed twice and is now scheduled for Wednesday July 11 in New York State Court in Riverhead.
Meanwhile Southampton still has no formal hiring site for day-laborers.
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* Ms. Cannon may not know that the Southampton based "Coalition for a Worklink Center" met with the Mayor several times to convince him that he should support the Coalition's plan for a regulated hiring site for day laborers. But Mr. Epley is the only local politico to take a stand and the heat on this issue. He should be congradulated. __ East End Report
