Romaine sends Albany his nominees for Suffolk MTA rep

Daily Point

Congestion pricing concerns became a priority in choices

Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine has made his selection of three nominees for Suffolk's seat on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority board.

Now, Gov. Kathy Hochul will choose from Romaine’s picks: Mitch Pally, who previously headed the Long Island Builders Institute and served on the MTA board under former County Executive Steve Bellone; Marc Herbst, who heads the Long Island Contractors’ Association; and Mea Knapp, an assistant town attorney in Islip Town.

Sources told The Point that Romaine’s picks have shifted recently. Initially, Romaine had considered former Greenport Mayor Dave Kapell. But Romaine’s concerns over congestion pricing quickly became a priority issue in his deliberations.

Neither Pally, 72, nor Herbst, 60, said they are opposed to congestion pricing, but both expressed a desire to make sure that funds from the tolling of Manhattan’s central business district are appropriately allocated to Long Island — and specifically to Suffolk County.

“I think there are concerns to be expressed by some of us on Long Island as to how it’s going to work and what we’re going to get and where specifically the money is going to go,” Pally told The Point, adding that his priorities remain electrifying the Long Island Rail Road out to Port Jefferson and Yaphank — and that he’d want electrification for the Oyster Bay line as well.

“We’ve got to get out of the 19th century,” Pally said.

Herbst, whose organization is focused on road and highway infrastructure, said he’d make sure to fight for the funding, too.

“If you’re not going to move forward [with congestion pricing], how are you going to fill the hole in the capital program?” Herbst said. “But I’m concerned about it being done fairly without all kinds of exceptions and it has to be looked at very carefully.”

Herbst also said he prioritizes the electrification of the Port Jefferson branch, along with rider safety.

Knapp, who has served in a variety of roles in the Town of Islip and Suffolk County — including town attorney, head of Suffolk Off-Track Betting, and assistant to former County Executive Robert Gaffney — said she’s committed to public transportation, but added that she isn’t as familiar with some of the issues the MTA board would address. If chosen, she said she’d want about six months to get up to speed on key MTA priorities.

But she said she has “concerns” over congestion pricing.

“I’m not convinced as to how well it’s going to work and whether or not the benefits it achieves are worth the cost that’s being imposed,” Knapp told The Point.

But Knapp said she also recognizes the importance of public transit.

“Having lived my whole life on Long Island, I’m as car dependent as we all are,” said Knapp, 76. “But I think the future is trying to get us out of our individual cars and into using public transportation. You have to make it comfortable, accessible and convenient and then people will do it.”

Once Hochul chooses a nominee from Romaine’s three picks, that person will require State Senate confirmation. Current Suffolk representative Sammy Chu can hold his seat until the end of February and then, upon confirmation, will represent Hochul on the MTA board. If the Senate doesn’t confirm Romaine’s pick by the end of February, Suffolk’s seat could sit open until confirmation hearings are held.

— Randi F. Marshall randi.marshall@newsday.com

Pencil Point

A growing concern?

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Final Point

Trump PAC donors on LI gave about $134,000 that paid for his legal fees

Responding to a pitch on his cellphone three years ago, Bohemia builder Jim Gerold donated to Save America, the main political action committee supporting former President Donald Trump. He gave $150 in two separate donations with no questions asked.

“I respect him for standing up to everything,” Gerold, 75, a registered Republican, told The Point when asked for his reasons for donating.

Gerold is one of dozens of Long Islanders who last year gave a total $118,000 to the Trump-affiliated Save America PAC. The donations to that political action committee along with $15,700 from Long Islanders to another Trump fund called Make America Great Again, reportedly were used for the former president’s legal expenses.

According to an analysis by The New York Times, some $50 million from Trump’s PACs were used last year to pay for attorneys and related expenses to defend him in various federal and state investigations. Trump is the front-runner for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination. His remaining challenger, Nikki Haley, has recently made an issue of this use of Trump donor money.

Many of Trump’s PAC donors on Long Island are older and gave relatively small amounts, according to an analysis of records by The Point. Overall, 672 individual donations to Save America came from Nassau and Suffolk counties, with 353 by people who said they were retired. Many others, like Gerold, listed themselves as business people.

Like donations to Trump’s presidential campaign fund (legally different from the PACs), the donors come from many communities. The top 10 locations for Trump PAC donors include Massapequa, Farmingdale, East Meadow, New Hyde Park, Wantagh and Coram, as well as Huntington, Garden City and Rockville Centre.

Though it’s become a campaign issue, Trump supporters like Gerold discounted the news of their donation money being used for Trump’s private legal needs. Gerold said he vastly prefers Trump to President Joe Biden.

“All of this [legal controversy] about him is political — they are afraid of the guy,” explained Gerold. “He stands up to [Vladimir] Putin.” But for the time being, however, Gerold said he plans to hold off on any more donations over his cellphone.

— Thomas Maier thomas.maier@newsday.com

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