Tom Croci asks for Islip Town resignations

Islip Supervisor-elect Tom Croci has asked about 25 town department heads and their deputies to submit a letter of resignation along with a resume "for evaluation" if they wish to stay in their jobs in the next administration.

The move, which Croci noted was in line with the way it's done in the White House, has not gone over well with town rank-and-file, according to town workers who asked not to be identified.

In a statement last week, Croci -- an aide to state Sen. Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley) and former Navy intelligence officer who won by 343 votes last month in his first run for public office -- thanked outgoing Supervisor Phil Nolan for meeting with him Nov. 29 and for Nolan's commitment "to a smooth transition."

"My goal is to evaluate town government and look for ways to lower taxes for Islip seniors and families. I will also aggressively seek out new employers and growth in Islip's economy," the statement said, reiterating Croci's "experience in uniform and as a successful small business owner." The personnel request "allows a full evaluation of job performance when looking at needed services within the town," his statement indicated.

The request affects town commissioners and deputy commissioners, and includes posts such as the airport and public works commissioners, the town attorney and town comptroller. They are part of a group of "exempt positions" that can be replaced by a vote of the town board. Starting Jan. 1, the board will be a 5-0 Republican/Conservative panel, with Anthony Senft the sole Conservative.

Croci, who served briefly on the Obama transition team, also announced members of his transition team, headed by former four-term Rep. Rick Lazio. The Brightwaters-Manhattan resident ran a losing Senate race against Hillary Rodham Clinton before losing his bid for governor last year in a GOP primary to Carl Paladino.

Lazio is joined by West Islip Republican and member of the Islip planning board John Schettino, Joe Badala, the Islip Fire Chiefs' Council head who also heads training and safety at Long Island MacArthur Airport, and Ivan Young, the former Islip Democratic chairman.

Nolan declined to criticize Croci's evaluation move, but noted, "I didn't throw the baby out with the bathwater." When the Democrat took the majority in November 2007, he kept several Republicans in high-ranking jobs. "The idea was to judge people on their performance and ability -- the majority of commissioners and deputies today are people who predated my administration, but were retained because of their ability," he said.