Following in his father’s footsteps, Greenport Village Trustee George Hubbard Jr. told SoutholdLOCAL Thursday that he’ll throw his hat into the proverbial ring and run for mayor in 2015.
Hubbard, currently Deputy Mayor of Greenport, said that after having served as a Village Trustee for eight years, he’s enjoyed his time on the board. “We have lots of stuff going on and I want to finish it all,” he said.
Many have told him that his father, a longtime village trustee and former mayor, would be proud. After his father’s death, Hubbard carried on his father’s long legacy on the village tree committee and in the Greenport Fire Department.
“Everyone has said my father would be happy about this,” Hubbard said. “I decided I have to do this, at least once.”
Hubbard has worked tirelessly on village initiatives during his stint on the board and has enjoyed focusing on issues including the revamp of the village skate park so that future generations of young people can continue to have a safe place for recreation.
Meanwhile, in August, a local Greenport business owner has decided to forego a run for mayor in the next election.
Marc LaMaina, owner of Lucharitos on Main Street, confirmed to SoutholdLOCAL in June that he was hoping to run for the post.
“I will get to the bottom of who owns what and the legalities of all issues related to greed,” he said in a Facebook post.
But later , LaMaina announced his turnaround on Facebook.
“So, after a lot of thought, at this point I will be taking my name out of the mayor debate. My family is too young and too important to me. I just don’t have the time or enough energy left over to fight the fight. Wishing those that do all the best!”
Incumbent Mayor David Nyce has announced in recent months that he might not be seeking re-election to his current post after his term is competed in March, 2015. Nyce originally announced the possibility that he might not seek re-election to the Greenport village board at a work session, during a discussion of a Tall Ship America event planned for July, 2015; the event would feature the Hermoione La Fayette — a vessel that brought French general Marquis de Lafayette to the United States during the Revolutionary War — which would make a maiden voyage back to the United States.
“I will likely not be in this position during that event, and I want to be sure this board is fully behind it, because it will involve a lot of preparation and someone else would be carrying it through,” Nyce said.
Nyce is finishing his second term as mayor; he won the election against former Village Trustee Jamie Mills in 2007, after former Village Mayor David Kapell announced that he would not seek another term. He ran unopposed for his seat in the next go-round.
After the meeting, Nyce said that while he might change his mind and nothing is official, the board should be prepared for the possibility. And, he said, it might be time for another candidate to step up.
In November, Greenport resident Douglas Roberts announced at a village board meeting that he will be running for one of the two open village trustee seats after the terms of both George Hubbard Jr. and Dave Murray expire.
According to Village Clerk Sylvia Lazzari Pirillo, an independent nominating petition is one of the required steps to run for election in the Village.
Roberts said he’s decided to run because he believes that residents need to be more connected to their government. “The people of Greenport deserve leaders who have the best of integrity, as well as the ability to think outside the box and solve problems.”
His career, Roberts said, involves helping clients to do just that; he’s an entrepreneur whose business focuses on educational technology, working with former teachers or technologists to solve problems in schools, as well as connecting with school district leaders to seek answers. “My business is one of connecting people with people. That’s the kind of work that needs to get done in government. We need to return government in Greenport to a place where village residents trust it.”
During his campaign, Roberts said he plans to walk around the village, talking to residents and asking what they need in government.
Election Day will be held on March 18, 2015, from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., with voting at the Third Street Firehouse. Voter registration days will be held on March 5 from 8:30 am. until 5 p.m. and March 7 from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m.
