Romaine Takes the Helm as County Executive

Edward P. Romaine was sworn in Monday as Suffolk’s ninth county executive during a ceremony witnessed by family, friends, and a who’s who of elected officials statewide who pledged to work with him on his ambitious agenda for Suffolk.

His ascendance to the county’s top elected seat caps a decades-long public service career where he fostered relationships with many of the officials in attendance—from both sides of the political aisle—who pledged to work with him to tackle the county’s most pressing problems. The former Brookhaven supervisor, legislator, and clerk was described as “the right person in the right place at the right time” to take on the management of a county of 1.5 million people, a theme Romaine himself echoed when he told his supporters: “l know what this job involves, and I’m ready to do it.”

While Romaine didn’t announce any new hires, he said filling the position of police commissioner is at the top of his list. Chief of Operations Robert Waring, a 37-year department veteran, will serve in the role until the end of the month when Romaine said he plans to have a new commissioner in place. He also said he’s decided on an interim director for the county’s beleaguered Department of Information Technology and singled out Child Protective Services as a department that will get his immediate attention.

File Photo

“I have a personal connection to Thomas Valva,” Romaine said of the child who fell through the cracks and died at the hands of his abusive father. “My grandson was in the same class as Thomas. We cannot let this system fail another child.”

Romaine pledged to give the county workforce the tools and support it needs to carry out his initiatives, including fighting crime, making the county more affordable, creating low and middle-income housing, improving the highway system, and addressing the environmental issues—building sewers, providing clean energy, and protecting natural resources—that are critical for people living on an island.

“We are in competition with the rest of the world,” the new county executive told the assembled crowd. “We’re all in this together.”

Romaine stressed that he does not plan to divert money from the quarter-cent fund or the southwest sewer district, as has been done in the past. “I do plan, with the help of my partners in the county legislature, to continue to create reserve funds for future anticipated expenses,” said Romaine. “I do plan, whenever possible, to pay low-level capital expenses from reserves. I do plan to reduce the county’s debt, and finally, I do plan on working with the County Legislature to develop structurally balanced budgets. It is my hope to improve the county bond rating and save the taxpayers some money.”

A surprise guest at the ceremony was U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer, who, as Senate majority leader, is one of the most powerful figures in Washington. The New York senator recalled working with Romaine in the 1970s when he was director of community development for Brookhaven. “He never let partisanship get in the way of helping people,” Schumer said. “Ed got here the hard way; he earned it.”

Also praising Romaine for his devotion to public service were Congressmen Andrew Garbarino and Nick LaLota, both promising to help him in his quest for Suffolk’s fair share of the $1 trillion federal infrastructure fund. “I took a lot of heat for my vote on the infrastructure bill,” Garbarino noted. “Ed called me and said l was doing the right thing. He was one of the few who had my back.”

“Ed has the legitimacy to lead Suffolk. He came in and calmed the waters in Brookhaven. I know he will do the same for Suffolk County,” said Daniel Panico, who succeeded Romaine as town supervisor.

County Comptroller John Kennedy applauded Romaine’s pledge to make the county’s various departments more efficient and effective in providing services to the public. “They really need it,” said Kennedy, a frequent critic of Suffolk’s former executive, Steve Bellone, the Democrat who served in the position for the last 12 years.

File Photo

Romaine, the first Republican in the job in the last two decades, was sworn in by County Court Judge James C. Hudson and was administered the Oath of Office by County Clerk Vincent Puleo. Also wishing him well were many of Suffolk’s 18 legislators, including Majority Leader Kevin McCaffrey and Minority Leader Jason Richberg; Suffolk Sheriff Errol Toulon and District Attorney Raymond Tierney; state senators and assembly members; judges; and supervisors and board members from Suffolk’s 10 towns. Romaine, a Republican, had an impressive turnout of Democrats, including Richie Schaffer, Babylon supervisor and head of the town and county Democrat committees, and Thomas DiNapoli, the state comptroller. They were joined by Jesse Garcia, chairman of the Brookhaven and Suffolk Republicans.

Also turning out to usher in the new executive were representatives from veterans groups, law enforcement, and organized labor. The county executive’s granddaughter, Rylie Johnson, sang, “God Bless America,” while the National Anthem was rendered by Anna Lubitz, a Stony Brook University alumni. John B. Zollo, Esq. led the crowd in “America the Beautiful.” Also participating in the event were singer Paige Patterson with piano accompaniment by Greg Schleich; Rocky Point VFW Post 6249; Suffolk Police Department Emerald Society Pipes and Drums; Suffolk County Veterans Court; Rev. Patrick Riegger from St. John the Evangelist RC Church; and Rabbi Aaron Benson from the North Shore Jewish Center. The Master of Ceremonies was former Senator John Flanagan and Judge Pierce Fox Cohalan, a veteran and son of former County Executive Peter F. Cohalan, led the Pledge of Allegiance.

Romaine was effusive in his recognition of his wife, Diane, and thanked the Eastport-South Manor School District for hosting the ceremony. He said he will be at work Tuesday morning and then visit the legislature for their ceremonies. Then it’s off to Shelter Island for the swearing-in of the new supervisor there. “I’ll treat all of the towns with respect, even the little ones,” he said.