DuWayne Gregory elected as Suffolk legislative leader

The Suffolk County Legislature elected Democrat DuWayne Gregory to a sixth one-year term as presiding officer as he called a special meeting Friday to enact a resolution for a special election to fill the seat of former Legis. Monica Martinez, now a state senator.

Gregory, of Copiague, was elected at the legislature’s annual organizational meeting on a straight-line party vote in Hauppauge with the support of all 10 Democrats. The six GOP lawmakers who were present abstained, while Legis. Tom Muratore (R-Ronkonkoma) was absent.

Legis. Tom Donnelly (D-Deer Park) praised Gregory as someone who “leads us with a steady hand and a sense of decency and fairness.”

Legis. Tom Cilmi, Republican caucus leader, said the abstentions were meant as a protest because the county remains on the “wrong path,” and Democrats have failed to consider “many good pieces of legislation” put forward by the GOP.

Lawmakers also chose Sarah Simpson, as the $126,533-a-year legislative counsel to replace George Nolan, who left the job after 13 years to become a State Supreme Court justice Jan. 1.

Simpson, 35, of Ronkonkoma, had served as Nolan’s assistant counsel for 10 years. She was making $86,104 annually before her promotion.

Simpson, as well as legislative Clerk Jason Richberg and Amy Ellis, deputy clerk, received unanimous votes. All are Democrats.

The special legislative meeting called by Gregory for Friday at 1 p.m. will set March 19 for the special election for Martinez’s seat, the same day for many village elections in Suffolk.

The only break in ranks Wednesday came over the vote naming official newspapers for the county. Democrats and Republicans each pick publications to run legal ads, which cost the county about $400,000 yearly, according to the county comptroller's office.

Legis. Rudolph Sunderman (R-Shirley), voted against his party’s choices -- The Smithtown Messenger and the Village Times Herald. The Messenger will have ads from Jan. 1 to Oct. 15; the Village Times Herald will get them for the rest of the year. Democrats picked the Suffolk County News.

After the meeting, Sunderman said he did “not like the process” for making the selection.

Sunderman declined to elaborate. But last year South Shore Press, a weekly in Sunderman’s district was an official GOP paper. Cilmi said the choice was the recommendation of Suffolk GOP chairman John Jay LaValle, but he declined to comment on the process for making the selection.

Democrats also re-elected Legis. Rob Calarco of Patchogue, as Gregory’s deputy.