Glen Cove's new leadership taking shape

Glen Cove mayor-elect Reginald Spinello has chosen new members of his administration, subject to City Council approval at a special meeting following his inauguration Wednesday.

Spinello, a city councilman and Independence Party member who ran on the GOP line, defeated incumbent Democrat Ralph Suozzi.

Spinello will appoint Barbara Peebles, a former executive at the Islandia-based computer firm CA Technologies, to be his deputy mayor at an annual salary of $75,000.

"She's had a good track record of success in business development; she's very good with organizational efforts," Spinello said.

He chose the Town of Oyster Bay's parks Commissioner James Byrne to head the department of public works. Byrne will make a salary of $130,000. Lawyer Charles G. McQuair was chosen as the new city attorney. McQuair has been a regular contributor to GOP campaigns and committees, but gave $500 to former Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi's 2006 campaign, state records show.

Spinello is creating a new position of chief of staff to be filled by Zefy Christopoulos, who worked on his campaign and was a part-time Nassau parks worker. Christopoulos served as press secretary for the Nassau County Legislature's Democrats. She will make a $62,000 salary.

Kristina Heuser, who sought a City Council seat as a Republican, was chosen to serve as deputy city attorney. She will make $50 an hour. Spinello picked her husband, Republican John DiMascio, who ran for a county legislature seat, to serve on the planning commission.

Spinello is keeping some personnel from the former administration, including city controller Salvatore Lombardi, at a salary of $126,600, and city clerk Tina Pemberton, with a salary of $46,250.