Huntington Supervisor Ed Smyth leads first town board meeting, names appointments

The administration of Huntington Supervisor Ed Smyth kicked off Tuesday with appointments to some key positions.

"So far, so good," Smyth quipped after the Pledge of Allegiance was recited and began presiding over his first town board meeting.

Smyth said he was honored to be serving as supervisor.

"We sit here and serve the town and represent all the residents of our town to the best of our ability and I look forward to doing so with my colleagues on the town board," Smyth said.

His inauguration ceremony was postponed but he said he hopes to have it rescheduled as soon as possible.

New members Sal Ferro and Dave Bennardo also gave brief remarks thanking the public for their trust and support in electing them.

There were no public hearings and only one speaker for the public comment session. The agenda was mostly appointments to Smyth’s administration.

Named to be town attorney is Deborah Misir, 50, a Lloyd Harbor resident. Board members Gene Cook and Ferro sponsored the resolution for her appointment, which was approved 5-0. Her salary is $162,000.

"Deborah is a distinguished lawyer who has 25 years of experience in private practice, government service, as a law professor and also served in the United States Marine Corps," Smyth said.

He said that she also served President George W. Bush as an ethics counsel in the White House, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor in charge of the country’s labor policy and chief of staff of OSHA.

East Northport resident William Musto was named director of general services at a salary of $120,000. He previously served as the town's director of parks and recreation for just over one year and as its deputy director for the prior three years. Before that he served in the Town's Refuse Division for 30 years.

His appointment was approved 4-1 with town board member Joan Cergol voting against the appointment.

Huntington resident John T. McCarron, 57, was named deputy supervisor. He previously worked in the town attorney's office and will be paid $140,000.

The new director of parks and recreation is Huntington Station resident Cable Todd Jamison. He’s served as a security supervisor for the Huntington School District and as its assistant varsity football coach, assistant varsity basketball coach, and junior varsity softball coach. He also played for the Philadelphia Eagles. He will be paid $115,000.

Also, at the meeting the board named retired judge W. Gerard Asher as the new chair of the zoning board of appeals and Huntington Station resident Al White, formerly an alternate member of the town's zoning board of appeals, a full member. Attorney Mara Manin Amendola, who serves as a judge on the town’s Bureau of Administration Adjudication, was appointed to the planning board.