Huntington Town Board member Sal Ferro says he won't seek reelection

Huntington Town Board member Sal Ferro, who has faced criticism over his connections to a developer, said Wednesday that he won’t be seeking reelection this fall.

Ferro, 61, was elected to his first and only term in 2021. In recent months he has faced a barrage of criticism over his ties to the developer, who could have benefited from one of two resolutions Ferro was advocating for, aimed at changing the town's zoning code to increase housing and businesses in Melville.

One of the resolutions, to create a walkable downtown in Melville, was approved at the town board meeting last month. Ferro abstained from the vote.

In a statement Wednesday, Ferro, of Commack, said after conferring with his family, he made the decision to fulfill his term and “then pass the torch."

"I do so with the knowledge that my reputation for integrity remains intact, that truth is the best defense, and that I was able to help the people I was sworn to serve,” he said in the statement.

Starting early last year, Ferro proposed a change to the town's zoning code that could have allowed developer Gregory DeRosa — to whom Ferro lent $4 million — to build housing and offices in a section of Melville where DeRosa owns a stake in an office building, Newsday previously reported. 

Ferro's resolution could have allowed DeRosa to apply for permits to redevelop the building, raising questions about a possible conflict of interest. Between July 17, 2023, and April 3, 2024, Ferro wired DeRosa; his wife, Nicolle; and Spectre Consulting Group LLC, in which DeRosa owns a stake, $4 million, Newsday previously reported. 

At Ferro's request in September, Huntington Town Supervisor Ed Smyth said he asked the town's ethics board counsel, Steve Leventhal, to conduct an "ethics inquiry" to see if Ferro "had any conflict of interest."

In November, Ferro said the ethics board found no wrongdoing.  

Smyth, who was elected supervisor the same year Ferro was elected, called Ferro a reliable colleague who could always be counted on to have details about issues important to the town, including firsthand knowledge about the building industry that led to a more efficient town building department. 

"He has worked in a bipartisan manner throughout the town, on important issues like combating substance abuse, supporting first responders and a variety of charitable organizations," Smyth said.

Ferro, a Republican who was also endorsed by the Conservative Party, was elected after serving as chief executive of Alure Home Improvements. He is a past president of the Long Island Builders Institute.

Three of the five seats on the all-Republican Huntington Town Board are up for election to four-year terms in the fall: those of Smyth, Ferro and Dave Bennardo.

Tom McNally, Huntington Republican Committee chair, said Ferro’s decision is bittersweet.

“He’s done such a great job over the last three years and we’re definitely going to miss him,” McNally said. “I’m glad he’s going to finish his term.”