Ex-engineer sworn in as Port Jeff trustee

Bruce D'Abramo, 63, a former civil engineer, served for more than 30 years as buildings superintendent for the Hampton Bays and Westhampton Beach school districts before retiring in 2006.

Now, he's trying on a new political hat.

He was sworn in Monday as Port Jefferson's newest village trustee.

Mayor Margot Garant said six people applied for the trustee spot, vacated when Jim Burke resigned to take a job with the state attorney general's office last month.

"All would have made excellent trustees," she said.

But D'Abramo's engineering experience and public service record -- including serving on the village's Architectural Review Committee since 2007 -- made him the right appointee, she said.

"I'm looking forward to serving the village," he said.

The trustees oversee a budget of about $8.7 million. Among D'Abramo's duties will be work on the village's master plan.

Also at the meeting, the board denied a request by resident Don Pawluk, who wanted two more weeks to gather signatures for a petition to hold a public vote on a salary raise Garant received last month.

With Garant abstaining, the village board voted Oct. 3 to amend the code and approve a raise for the mayor to $19,500.

Pawluk said officials gave him incorrect information on how much time he had to gather signatures for a petition that would force a referendum for a public vote on the raise.

Under state law, the public had 30 days to submit a petition with signatures of 20 percent of registered village voters for the referendum.

Garant, citing state law, denied Pawluk's request.

A proposal to raise the trustees' salaries to $12,500 was tabled until the Nov. 21 meeting.