Islip won't lift ban on town officials serving in party leadership posts

Officials in Islip declined to lift a ban on town board members leading political parties while in office, a decision that, as it stands, will force the hand of a local party official who is to take a seat on the board next month.

Islip adopted the ban in 2016 to lessen the influence of party politics on day-to-day governance. Town officials began weighing whether to repeal it last month, two weeks after DawnMarie Kuhn, vice chairwoman of the Islip Town Republican Committee, was elected to the town board Nov. 4.

But the three Republicans on Islip's five-member town board — Michael McElwee, James O’Connor and Supervisor Angie Carpenter — all voted at Tuesday's town board meeting to table the resolution, which means the policy change is dead unless it’s proposed again.

Kuhn will now have to exit her party role under the town’s unchanged rules. She did not respond to a request for comment.

McElwee said he believes holding dual roles “is a conflict.” He also cited other government entities that have similar bans in place, which include Suffolk County and at least four other towns within Suffolk: Brookhaven, Riverhead, East Hampton and Southold.

“It’s very hard to wear two hats when you’re sitting up there as a councilperson,” McElwee said. “What the party leaders do and then what the council people do … it is clearly two different roles. I don’t think they mix well together.”

He added that, “Suffolk County does not allow this, Brookhaven Town does not allow this. So, there’s something to it.”

Carpenter, who authored the 2016 ban, did not comment. O'Connor, whose term expires next month, said he voted to table the resolution because the board couldn't reach a consensus.

Conservative Councilman John Lorenzo abstained from the vote, while Democratic Councilman Jorge Guadrón was absent. Neither responded to Newsday’s request for comment.

“I don’t think this is partisan,” McElwee said. “DawnMarie is coming in as a new councilperson. … There’s a lot to get a handle on when you step into that role and the different roles that you have. I personally just think you should concentrate on the one position.”

Attempts to reach the Islip Town Republican Committee were unsuccessful. Mike Torres, who leads the Suffolk County Conservative Committee, did not comment.

Several current and former Long Island officials said having a leadership role in a political party while holding office poses a conflict of interest. Municipal lawyer Paul Sabatino said allowing the two to mix can “harm the public trust” because of their different objectives: Politics is about strategy to win elections, he explained, while local officials are tasked with practical decision making on issues such as balancing a budget.

Leigh-Ann Barde, chairwoman of the Islip Town Democratic Committee, told Newsday she “was pleasantly surprised” by Islip’s decision Tuesday. She said she sees merit in the ban.

“Do I think it would be the end of the world if the rule was not there? No. But I can also see … why that is a good rule to have,” she said.

Asked if he believes the proposal to lift the ban is dead, McElwee told Newsday, “someone could bring it back, but I don’t know that anyone has the appetite to bring it back.”