Despite Objections, Town Board Majority Appoints New Administrator

A Suffolk Regional Off-Track Betting official and former Riverhead deputy town supervisor was appointed to take over the Southampton Town Business Management Department in a 3-2 town board vote Tuesday evening, despite a litany of objections from town residents who expressed anger and disappointment and characterized the vote as an arrogant move that closed out the public.

The town board's Republican-Conservative majority announced in a press release on Monday its intention to appoint Russell Kratoville of Aquebogue to replace outgoing town management services administrator Richard Blowes, whose retirement takes effect Jan 1. Town Supervisor Anna Throne-Holst (I–Sag Harbor) told Patch on Tuesday that the appointment violates the town policy for filling management positions, in that the position was not advertised and a selection committee was not used screen candidates. At Tuesday's town board meeting, residents took to the lectern during the public comment period to ask – or in some instances, demand – that the board majority withdraw the appointment resolution so that multiple candidates could come forward and be vetted.

Hank Beck, chairman of the Westhampton/Speonk/Remsenburg/Eastport/Quiogue Citizens Advisory Committee, told the town board the appointment is "one of the absolutely worst examples of wrong headed Southampton Town Board mismanagement and partisanship run amok."

 "This is not at all about Mr. Kratoville, nor his qualifications," Beck said. "There was no vacancy posting, no selection criteria, just a resolution and announcement of the fait accompli, before any one from the public had a chance to know or comment about it."

Beck called Monday's press release by the board majority – Chris Nuzzi (R–Speonk), Nancy Graboski (R–Bridgehampton) and Jim Malone (C–Hampton Bays) – a "major slap in the face to the community, rubbing our collective noses in the dirtier side of partisanship."

As of Wednesday afternoon, the majority members did not return phone calls to the town council office made on Tuesday, nor was a voice mail for Nuzzi immediately returned Wednesday. Kratoville did not return a voice mail left for him at his OTB office Tuesday.

Kratoville is currently the deputy comptroller of Suffolk OTB and a certified public finance officer. According to his resume, he was an interim executive director of the Village of Patchogue Community Development Agency and head of the recreation and senior citizen services departments for Riverhead. He was also the vice chairman of the Riverhead Zoning Board of Appeals, the proprietor of a luncheonette in Riverhead and the financial administrator of Long Island Oyster Farms in Greenport.

Neil Tiger, a former Southampton Town Democratic leader, endorsed Kratoville for the position, and said he was well qualified, but admonished the board majority for how the appointment was being made.

He explained that he knows Kratoville well after working with him at the OTB for several years and carpooling to Hauppauge together up until his retirement in August.

"You three – two Republicans, one Conservative – are putting at risk the future of my friend, because you're probably violating town policy, which leaves him open for removal, and you're probably violating state and federal law, which require posting and advertising a position," Tiger said, citing equal opportunity employment laws.

"Hire him by going through the process and let everybody see it, because he can withstand open scrutiny. I know it," Tiger continued. "I've seen his work. I know how diligent he is when it comes to performing public service."

Throne-Holst had planned to reorganize the business management department and eliminate the administrator post in the 2011 town budget, but the Republican-Conservative bloc voted earlier this year to restore the department, including the administrator post.

When it came time Tuesday to vote on the appointment, Councilwoman Bridget Fleming (D–Noyac) moved to table the resolution, "in order to provide an opportunity to vet the candidates and give proper public input. " Throne-Holst seconded the motion, but it failed 3-2.

"What I don't understand is that you folks have the votes," Fleming said, addressing Nuzzi, Graboski and Malone. "I mean, you could do the process and still appoint this individual. What I don't understand is how you can act in such complete and utter disregard for public input after only 24 hours since the time you issued your press release announcing we would be adopting this resolution today."

Graboski and Malone were quiet on the appointment, but Nuzzi spoke up prior to the vote.

"The bottom line is, I take exception, obviously, to comments about process and no one knowing of this individual," he said.

He pointed out that there is only a month left for a new administrator to transition into the position. "I have every confidence that this individual will serve this town board and the community well," he said, adding that the business management department and the town needs continuity, regardless of who sits on the town board.

"When a decision's made, we proceed forward and we do what we believe is in the best interest of the town," Nuzzi said. "That's not to say that it precludes debate. That's not to say that people don't share their feelings with any of the decisions that have been made. But once the decisions have been made we proceed forward and, organizationally, I do believe that this is the best for the town."

 "I have to say Chris," Fleming replied, "that your tactics are the ideal way to preclude debate. She also disagreed with Nuzzi's assertion that having continuity is valuable. "Continuity of practices that brought our town to the brink of financial ill health is not in itself of value," she said.