Incumbent mayors win in Port Jefferson, Sands Point, Centre Island in village elections

Incumbent mayors withstood challenges in Port Jefferson, Centre Island and Sands Point on Tuesday as voters went to the polls in village elections. 

In Port Jefferson, Mayor Lauren Sheprow defeated former trustee Kathianne Snaden, 903-821, in a rematch of the village's 2023 mayoral contest, won by Sheprow, Village Clerk Sylvia Pirillo said by phone late Tuesday night.

In Centre Island, Mayor Lawrence Schmidlapp was reelected with 127 votes, fending off Andrew Woodstock's write-in challenge. That capped a contentious legal saga in the village of 400 residents: Woodstock sued village officials earlier this month after he failed to qualify for the ballot. Last week, a state Supreme Court justice denied his challenge. Woodstock had 26 votes, chief election officer Donna Harris said in an email.

In Sands Point, Mayor Peter Forman, of the Citizens Party, defeated Jeremiah Bosgang, of the Village Forward Party, 648-263, Village Clerk Liz Gaynor said in an email.

Bosgang, executive director of the Sands Point Preserve Conservancy — a 216-acre park full of mansions, nature trails, a beach and more — had challenged Forman, who won a third two-year term.

Brightwaters, Centre Island, North Haven and Port Jefferson also had contested trustee races.

In Brightwaters, voters overwhelmingly rejected two propositions that would have granted salaries to elected officials, who currently are unpaid, and would have doubled their term lengths for serving on the village board. The proposals would have set four-year terms and established stipends of $5,000 for the mayor and $2,500 for trustees.

Port Jefferson

Sheprow won by fewer than 100 votes out of more than 1,700 cast.

“I’m grateful to the village for believing in me and acknowledging the work that I've been doing,” she said in a phone interview late Tuesday night. She said in her next term she plans to focus on flood mitigation in the village and completing an ongoing erosion control project at the village-owned country club.

Snaden, 53, a paralegal, had accused Sheprow of running a secretive administration. She ran on the One Port Jefferson Party line and served two terms as trustee from 2019 to 2023.

She said Sheprow and the village board had met behind closed doors in recent months to discuss whether to annex a portion of Port Jefferson Station hamlet.

Sheprow, 64, denied meeting in secret. Both the village board and the Brookhaven Town Board voted separately to reject the annexation proposal.

Sheprow, a retired Stony Brook University spokeswoman, is finishing her first two-year term as mayor. She ran on the Concerned Villagers Party line. 

The mayor is paid $35,000 annually.

In the trustees race, incumbent Robert Juliano and challenger Matthew Franco defeated challenger Julie Vitrano to win two open seats, each carrying a two-year term. Trustees are paid $12,500 annually.

Centre Island

Woodstock had sued village officials on June 2 after he was disqualified from the ballot. Schmidlapp had sought reelection to the post he has held since 2009.

Schmidlapp said during a phone interview Wednesday that he plans to appoint an individual to serve as a "grandmaster of information" to improve communication with residents.

"I want to do some changes in the village so we don't have issues like this," Schmidlapp said, referring to Woodstock's candidacy. Woodstock alleged the current administration lacked transparency.

Woodstock did not immediately respond to a request for comment.  

Last Thursday, a Nassau state Supreme Court justice ruled Woodstock could not qualify for the ballot because he filed his lawsuit too late. 

Schmidlapp, 80, had said the upcoming two-year term would be his last. 

The mayor is not paid.

In the trustees race, incumbents Walter Roll and Anne Glass defeated challenger Alex Carciu. Terms are two years, and trustees are unpaid.

Sands Point

Forman, 63, an investor, said in his next term he wants to protect the character of neighborhoods by limiting noise, avoiding the over-clearing of trees and eschewing excessive subdividing of properties.

“We are pleased that the voters have overwhelmingly recognized our accomplishments, and we appreciate the mandate to continue strengthening the village,” he said in a statement.

Bosgang, 63, said in an interview he was proud of his campaign and the increased civic participation in the village — Forman had run unopposed the previous two elections. “There was a sizable portion of Sands Point residents, voting residents, for whom my issues resonated,” Bosgang said.

The mayor is unpaid.

Other trustee races

In Brightwaters, Joseph A. McNulty III and incumbent Patrick Fawcett were elected to two-year terms. Challenger Thomas Fauvell was defeated. Trustees are unpaid.

In the Village of North Haven, incumbent Peter Boody and challenger Max Rohn won two-year terms on the board. Incumbent Terie Diat was defeated. The annual stipend for a trustee is $1,500.

Newsday's Sam Kmack contributed to this story.