Westhampton Beach names new mayor as East End officials work to fill empty roles
New Westhampton Beach Mayor Ralph Urban. Credit: Westhampton Beach Mayor Ralph Urban.
Westhampton Beach's board of trustees appointed Ralph Urban as the village's mayor to fill the seat Maria Moore left when she became Southampton Town's new supervisor.
The board named Urban, a former trustee, to the role at a Jan. 4 meeting. It was one of several appointments made across the East End as municipal officials worked to fill vacancies created by elected officials moving into new positions.
East Hampton Town also finalized its five-member board Tuesday with the appointment of Ian Calder-Piedmonte, a longtime member of the town’s planning board.
In Westhampton Beach, Urban’s rise to mayor created a ripple effect by opening a vacancy for his former trustee seat. The board appointed Kimberly Monsour, a real estate agent, to serve the remainder of that term.
Urban, 75, a retired teacher and village resident for six decades, first won election to the board in 2012. He most recently served as the village's deputy mayor.
“Hopefully we can keep moving forward without too many hiccups,” he said in an interview.
Urban said he’ll present a proposed budget to the board in March. Increases to health insurance rates will add “a lot of pressure.” The village's current budget is about $12 million.
Urban’s appointment runs through the end of June, but he said he plans to run for a full two-year mayoral term. The village will hold an election on June 21. Monsour also would need to run in June to remain on the board.
Urban said four village residents expressed interest in seeking his trustee seat. The trustees interviewed each candidate before selecting Monsour, according to the mayor, who said he expects her to provide “fresh eyes” on pending projects.
Monsour, 36, said after her swearing-in that she has two young children and has worked in real estate for more than a decade.
In East Hampton, Calder-Piedmonte, 43, has filled the council seat Kathee Burke-Gonzalez left after her election as town supervisor. The town will hold a special election in November for the remaining year of Burke-Gonzalez’s term, which ends in 2025.
Burke-Gonzalez said at Tuesday's meeting that Calder-Piedmonte, a Springs resident, has had a “distinguished career serving East Hampton Town as a town planning board member since 2012.”
Burke-Gonzalez also called him “fair, open-minded, well prepared and a strong communicator.”
Calder-Piedmonte’s appointment rounds out a town board of all Democrats in East Hampton.
Shelter Island Town still has a vacancy on its board for the council seat Amber Brach-Williams left after her election as town supervisor in November. The board will accept submissions from prospective appointees until Jan. 16.
Westhampton Beach's board of trustees appointed Ralph Urban as the village's mayor to fill the seat Maria Moore left when she became Southampton Town's new supervisor.
The board named Urban, a former trustee, to the role at a Jan. 4 meeting. It was one of several appointments made across the East End as municipal officials worked to fill vacancies created by elected officials moving into new positions.
East Hampton Town also finalized its five-member board Tuesday with the appointment of Ian Calder-Piedmonte, a longtime member of the town’s planning board.
In Westhampton Beach, Urban’s rise to mayor created a ripple effect by opening a vacancy for his former trustee seat. The board appointed Kimberly Monsour, a real estate agent, to serve the remainder of that term.
Urban, 75, a retired teacher and village resident for six decades, first won election to the board in 2012. He most recently served as the village's deputy mayor.
“Hopefully we can keep moving forward without too many hiccups,” he said in an interview.
Urban said he’ll present a proposed budget to the board in March. Increases to health insurance rates will add “a lot of pressure.” The village's current budget is about $12 million.
Urban’s appointment runs through the end of June, but he said he plans to run for a full two-year mayoral term. The village will hold an election on June 21. Monsour also would need to run in June to remain on the board.
Urban said four village residents expressed interest in seeking his trustee seat. The trustees interviewed each candidate before selecting Monsour, according to the mayor, who said he expects her to provide “fresh eyes” on pending projects.
Monsour, 36, said after her swearing-in that she has two young children and has worked in real estate for more than a decade.
In East Hampton, Calder-Piedmonte, 43, has filled the council seat Kathee Burke-Gonzalez left after her election as town supervisor. The town will hold a special election in November for the remaining year of Burke-Gonzalez’s term, which ends in 2025.
Burke-Gonzalez said at Tuesday's meeting that Calder-Piedmonte, a Springs resident, has had a “distinguished career serving East Hampton Town as a town planning board member since 2012.”
Burke-Gonzalez also called him “fair, open-minded, well prepared and a strong communicator.”
Calder-Piedmonte’s appointment rounds out a town board of all Democrats in East Hampton.
Shelter Island Town still has a vacancy on its board for the council seat Amber Brach-Williams left after her election as town supervisor in November. The board will accept submissions from prospective appointees until Jan. 16.
Joe Werkmeister covers the towns of Southampton, East Hampton and Shelter Island. He is a graduate of St. Bonaventure University and previously worked as the editor of two North Fork community newspapers.
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