“It’s a great day for Suffolk County,” said nearly all speakers and attendees at the inauguration of Ed Romaine (R-Center Moriches) as Suffolk County Executive.
Elected officials, community leaders, and members and friends of the Romaine family descended on Eastport-South Manor Junior-Senior High School on January 1 to witness Romaine’s swearing in and inaugural address.
Ed Romaine served as Brookhaven Town Supervisor from 2011 until his decisive victory in last year’s county executive race. His election resulted in the first Republican county executive since Bob Gaffney was re-elected in 1999.
It was more than just an inauguration event, however, as it truly represented a culmination of one of the most legendary and esteemed political careers on Long Island. Highly regarded by countless people of both parties, Romaine’s inauguration as the county’s top official is the pinnacle of a storied and successful career as a lifelong public servant. And while hundreds from around the county attended, many have been Romaine’s partners, coworkers, and friends for decades. It made for a much more impactful, emotional, and symbolic event, and one that resonated with much unity and optimism for a new chapter in Suffolk’s history.
The ceremony was headlined by former Senator and Majority Leader John Flanagan (R-East Northport). Flanagan was the first to describe January 1 as a “good day for Suffolk,” and recognized Romaine as a “good man” and “Teddy Roosevelt-esque” in his lifelong dedication to environmental conservation.
The event was opened by an animated rendition of “Feeling Good” from the musical The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd, sung by Paige Patterson with keyboard accompanist Greg Schleich.
The Presentation of the Colors immediately followed, conducted by the Rocky Point VFW Post 6249 led by Commander Joseph Cognitore, alongside a pipe band performance from the SCPD Emerald Society Pipes and Drums.
The Pledge of Allegiance was led by the Honorable Pierce Fox Cohalan and was followed by the singing of the National Anthem by Anna Lubitz.
The inauguration event consisted of dozens of officials, including nearly all members and members-elect of the Suffolk County Legislature, District Attorney Ray Tierney (R), Sheriff Errol Toulon (D), Islip Town Supervisor Angie Carpenter (R-West Islip), Congressmen Nick LaLota (R-Amityville) and Andrew Garbarino (R-Bayport), County Comptroller John Kennedy (R-Nesconset), Babylon Town Supervisor and Chair of the Suffolk Democrats Rich Schaffer (D-West Babylon), Shelter Island Town Supervisor-Elect Amber Brach-Williams (R), Southampton Town Supervisor-Elect Maria Moore (D-Westhampton Beach), as well as a bipartisan congregation of Town-level and State-level elected officials.
Party leaders, including Suffolk GOP Chairman Jesse Garcia, were also in attendance.
Perhaps most surprising of the guest speakers were those of New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli (D-Great Neck Plaza) and U.S. Senator and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-Park Slope), who proclaimed the day “great for Romaine, great for Romaine’s family, great for Suffolk County, and great for the United States.”
“I worked closely with Ed, and he cared about every part of Brookhaven and did an amazing job [as Town Supervisor] and never let partisanship get in the way,” said Schumer.
Schumer recounted Romaine’s long career in public service, from his humble beginnings as a schoolteacher of twelve years, and later the Town of Brookhaven’s first commissioner on Housing and Community Development, his sixteen-year tenure as County Clerk, his two stints in the County Legislature, and finally, his eleven years as Brookhaven Town Supervisor.
“He always knew how to help people,” said Schumer. “He got here the old-fashioned way; he earned it.”
In addition to, as Schumer said, being a great day for Romaine and his family, he also claimed it a “great day for Suffolk County,” describing Suffolk as a “bastion of the middle class” which Romaine “understands instinctively.” Schumer concluded his point by saying Suffolk County is getting “great representation.”
Finally, Schumer said the day was even great for the United States. He recounted the famous Benjamin Franklin quote, that when asked what he and the founding fathers had created, he replied “A republic, if you can keep it.” Schumer then stated that the founding fathers knew that not all would participate in the new republic, but also that some might only run for “themselves, money, power, or some other bad motive.”
“Let’s look at this auditorium,” said Schumer. “It’s filled with people from all walks of life who participate in this republic. Second, look who we’re putting in office, somebody who will always put community first.”
Congressman Garbarino then spoke in favor of Romaine’s pragmatism and encouragement and said that he “wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for his support.” Garbarino then humorously pledged to fiercely lobby for federal funds for Suffolk County.
Congressman LaLota offered words of wisdom from his mother: “‘Don’t tell me who you are; show me your friends and I’ll tell you who you are.’” LaLota said Romaine has “built a tremendous amount of friends in this county,” and that he is “hopeful for Suffolk County’s future” because of Romaine’s leadership.
Brookhaven Town Supervisor-Elect Dan Panico (R-Center Moriches) called Romaine not only a “stellar representative, a person of impeccable character, and a person who has dedicated his life to making other peoples’ lives better, but also a mentor.” Panico said he would not be Brookhaven Supervisor-Elect or a Town Councilman if Romaine, at the time County Clerk, did not “take a shot on a young guy fresh out of law school.”
Panico also remarked on Romaine’s gift that “he can articulate your problem as it relates to government better than even you can.”
Romaine was subsequently administered the oath of office and was sworn in as Suffolk County’s ninth executive.
“It is a new day in Suffolk County,” said Romaine in the opening to his inaugural address to thunderous applause. “I know there will be more problems than solutions, more to be done than has been done, more quests than conquests, but it’s only by not giving up and not trying that we lose.”
Romaine laid out a vision for his administration and spoke of the values that will drive his agenda and partnership with his fellow representatives.
“This administration will be rooted in the values and traditions of hard work, personal initiative, and accountability so that we can build a future that is safe and more affordable and provides opportunity to this generation and the next,” he said. “One of my top priorities will be straightening county finances and making our budget structurally balanced.”
Romaine also made a series of pledges and cited specific examples of the past to help him chart his agenda.
“I do not plan to divert money from the quarter-percent fund,” he said, referencing an initiative he sponsored in 1987 to place a quarter-percent tax on sales to contribute to water quality management programs. Such funds were later diverted for other expenditures, resulting in hefty lawsuits that the county must pay back.
“I do plan, with the help of my partners in the County Legislature, to create reserve funds for future anticipated expenses. I do plan, whenever possible, to pay low-level capital expenses from reserves. I do plan to reduce the county’s debt and work with the Legislature to develop structurally-balanced budgets.”
“Another top priority will be dealing with the breakdown of the county’s information technology (IT) structure, which unfortunately affected every aspect of county government,” said Romaine, referencing last year’s crippling cyber attack that left some county services paralyzed for over a year. “We will prioritize cyber security, cyber security insurance, moving our data to the cloud, and undertake periodic penetration tests.”
Romaine also said he will place an active IT Commissioner to “set us on the right direction and to respect the independence of our four county-wide officials.”
Romaine also pledged the “tools and funding” needed for police departments, the District Attorney, and other law enforcement offices to help them “effectively and responsibly do their jobs.” Romaine also spoke of hiring more officers and detectives. He will also be tasked with selecting a new police commissioner.
Romaine was the first Republican candidate for county executive to receive the endorsement of the Police Benevolent Association (PBA) since he ran for the position in 2003.
Romaine also touched on a heavy subject: the need to improve Child Protective Services (CPS). Romaine also provided a unique and unfortunate view on a recent case that rocked Long Island.
“My grandson sat next to a young boy in the third grade named Thomas Valva. That lesson is never lost on me; it’s one of the failures of government today. I am going to work very hard to ensure that we have a system that does not fail another child.”
Romaine also mentioned another core value by means of the Parking Violations Bureau. “There’s a bureau that needs to be streamlined,” he said. “That bureau needs a better sense of what justice is all about. It needs justice in mind, not producing revenue. I am not interested in nickel-and-diming our citizens.”
Romaine also listed several items on his “long list of to-dos,” including, but not limited to: open-space preservation, preventing overdevelopment, affordable workforce housing, protecting the county’s groundwater, securing funding for sewers, improving traffic flow, cost-efficient energy production, and “fighting from our fair share of federal and state aid, that we have not gotten, by eliminating unfunded state mandates.”
“I am optimistic about the future of Suffolk County,” he concluded. “God bless you, God bless Suffolk County, and God bless the United States of America.”
