Tina Cioffi: 80 – Mayor
Darlene Mercieca: 78 – Trustee
Jacqueline Taylor: 78 – Trustee
John Richardson: 2 – Mayor
Felicia Chillak: 2 – Trustee
Susan Laskowski: 1 – Trustee
Total ballots cast: 83
Poquott village election results
Tina Cioffi
Village of Poquott: Meet the candidates
Candidates for mayor and trustees in the Village of Poquott have no challengers this year. Voting takes place Tuesday, June 21.
Mayor Chris Schleider is not running this year after serving one term. Tina Cioffi, who was first elected as trustee in 2019, has decided to run for mayor this year. Current trustee Jacqueline Taylor and Darlene Mercieca will be up for the two open trustee seats. All seats are for a two-year term.
Tina Cioffi
Cioffi was appointed as deputy mayor of the village in 2021, at the beginning of her second term as trustee. In an email, she said she has helped Schleider as much as possible to learn about the position.
“After three years on the board, I feel I’ve got enough of a fundamental understanding of village operations and budget to take on the position of mayor and hopefully — with the support of the rest of the village team — keep Poquott moving in a positive and forward direction,” she said.
A former creative director in advertising for a Long Island-based advertising agency for 15 years, she has owned a marketing and communications consulting business since 2003. She moved to Poquott in 2008, and her husband has owned their home since 1986. Before she was voted in as trustee, she was appointed as communications commissioner in Poquott after volunteering to revamp the village’s website in 2017. She is also a member of the Poquott Community Association.
Cioffi said she felt the village has “bloomed,” and the community dock has “brought a lot more activity to our whole waterfront area and even our residents who were opposed to its construction in 2018 really grew to appreciate it during the COVID pandemic lockdown.”
The trustee said new friendships among Poquott residents have developed during the difficult times, and she has found that “new residents with young families seem to really be loving the very integrated vibe in Poquott.”
Regarding issues, the village, like surrounding areas, is experiencing an uptick in suspicious activities involving cars, especially when unlocked. Cioffi said, “It’s important to keep up communications with [Suffolk County Police Department].”
She also lists environmental challenges among the waterfront community’s issues which she said hopes “to work on with New York Sea Grant as well as our own environmental commissioner, Rich Parrish.”
Jacqueline Taylor
Taylor was appointed as trustee in 2019 and was reelected in 2020.
She has been a resident of the village for 21 years. In an email, she said she is an active volunteer. Her volunteer experience includes heading up fundraisers for the March of Dimes and cystic fibrosis.
She is also a member of the Poquott Community Association planning committee.
“I have gained much experience in the day-to-day responsibilities of running the Village of Poquott from our former Mayor Dee Parrish and our current Mayor Chris Schleider,” she said.
She added that being part of the planning committee has provided her “lots of insight into the wants and needs of our residents of all ages.”
“I am happy to work with a very dedicated board, and I am proud of the goals and projects that have been completed,” Taylor said. “I welcome the opportunity to continue to work for our residents to make our village the best that it can be.”
Taylor worked for the Bank of New York on Wall Street before becoming senior vice president of human resources and administration of Gold Coast Bank. She held the position until she retired in 2019. On the candidates’ campaign website, yourpoquott.com, she said “working with executive management, employees, board of directors and shareholders I have gained valuable experience in developing and implementing policies and procedures, strategic planning and adhering to proper regulations for compliance.”
Darlene Mercieca
Mercieca is a health care professional with 30 years of experience. She has been a director of multiple departments within Brookdale Hospital in Brooklyn, including working with vendor and employer contracts, according to her biography on the candidates’ campaign website.
In addition to holding an MBA in finance and a master’s degree in health care administration, she has continued her education at the School of Law at Pace University in White Plains.
She is currently a chief operating officer “overseeing over 200 staff members and budgets of $75 million. My professional experience focuses on daily operations, human resources and patient satisfaction.”
She became active in the community when her sister Dee Parrish became mayor by volunteering for events such as beach cleanup day and the annual lobster bake.
“I loved the sense of belonging within Poquott and decided to move from Stony Brook after 17 years,” she said. “I moved to Poquott in 2018 and joined the Poquott Community Association. Over the last four years, I have helped organize the Halloween family day, meet Santa day and summer movie night.”
Mercieca is also a court-appointed guardian to nursing home patients, helping to organize their finances and make health care decisions.
Voting information
Voting will be held in the Village of Poquott on Tuesday, June 21, at Village Hall located at 45 Birchwood Ave. polling place from noon to 9 p.m.
Poquott candidates receive 147 votes each
On June 15, village election day in Poquott, residents only had two candidates to chose from for two two-year trustee terms, incumbent Tina Cioffi and newcomer John Musiello.
Each candidate garnered 147 votes each, according to Cindy Schleider, village clerk.
Cioffi said, in a June 10 The Village Times Herald article, that she was “running again because I enjoy giving back to the community that gives me so much to be thankful for. The vibe in Poquott is really great these days, and if I can help keep that going, I’m really happy to do so.”
She was looking forward to working with Musiello on the village board. In the June 10 article, the newcomer said his goals for office include utilizing his financial background and community service experience.
“Financially, I’m looking forward to collaborating with the board on operational efficiencies, bid reviews and budget considerations,” he said. “From a community service standpoint, having done volunteer work for many years, I hope to establish some more formalized volunteer programs for Poquott based on resident interest and feedback.”
The two will be sworn in July 1 during the village’s organizational meeting.
Cioffi and Musiello run for two trustee seats in Poquott
The election cycle has been a quiet one this year in the Village of Poquott.
While residents would usually have a few candidates to choose from for two two-year trustee terms, this year incumbent Tina Cioffi and newcomer John Musiello are the only names that will be on the ballot June 15.
Jeff Koppelson, who is completing his third term, decided not to run again this year. In a phone interview, Koppelson said after six years, it was time to move on, especially with him wanting to spend more time on other things in his life.
He said he moved to the village in 1972, but it wasn’t until his first trustee run in 2015 that he felt compelled to run. At one point, residents were divided about the construction of a community dock in Poquott, which was completed in 2019. Koppelson said when he ran he had hoped that he could help in some way, and they could form a team that worked well together on the village board. He said he believes that goal was accomplished, and it shows with the low number of candidates this year and less contention in the village.
“It means that we don’t have discord,” he said. “There’s no dissension. So, people are not saying, ‘I’m against what you’re trying to do and I want to somehow pursue an alternative.’ It’s pretty unifying.”
Tina Cioffi
In 2019, Cioffi won running on the Bright Side ticket with Koppelson. A former creative director in advertising for a Long Island-based advertising agency for 15 years, she has owned a marketing and communications consulting business since 2003. She has lived in Poquott since 2008, and her husband has owned their home since 1986.
Before she was voted in as trustee, she was appointed as communications commissioner in Poquott after volunteering to revamp the village’s website in 2017. She is also a member of the Poquott Community Association.
“I’m running again because I enjoy giving back to the community that gives me so much to be thankful for,” Cioffi wrote in an email. “The vibe in Poquott is really great these days, and if I can help keep that going, I’m really happy to do so.”
The trustee said her first time was a great experience, and she feels she accomplished many of her goals.
“Poquott saw its share of challenges these last few years – COVID-19 shutdown and reopening, Hurricane Isaias and an abundance of winter storms this past year – and I feel like I learned a lot in a short amount of time and am grateful to [former] Mayor [Dee] Parrish, Mayor [Chris] Schleider, the other board members, village staff and code enforcement/legal team for all they taught me regarding coordination and protocols.”
Cioffi said she is looking forward to Musiello “being a new member of the village team,” and wanted to thank Koppelson “for years of dedication and hard work.”
John Musiello
Musiello moved to Poquott in 2019. A Bronx native, after he graduated from college, he moved to the San Francisco Bay Area.
He spent more than 20 years working with AAA in various divisions throughout the years, including corporate finance and real estate. The bulk of his AAA career was spent in operational and strategic positions in the automotive services division of AAA working his way up the ranks to senior director. He retired in 2012.
He and his husband, Mike Taflinger, volunteered with Caring Hands for more than 15 years. The nonprofit helps seniors remain independent. He has also been the treasurer for two homeowners associations. Currently, he and his husband volunteer at Welcome Friends Soup Kitchen and at Infant Jesus R.C. Church in Port Jefferson as Eucharistic ministers, who bring communion to parishioners in nursing and adult homes. They also take time out to clean up any trash they find on the roads and beaches in Poquott.
Musiello wrote in an email that when he moved to the village, he “immediately felt a strong sense of community, and it made me want to get more involved.”
“As soon as Tina Cioffi approached me to run for village trustee, I immediately said ‘yes,’ because I knew that working together with the other board members and mayor, we could continue to do great things in Poquott, especially keeping our community safe, clean and friendly,” Musiello said.
The candidate’s goals for office include utilizing his financial background and community service experience.
“Financially, I’m looking forward to collaborating with the board on operational efficiencies, bid reviews and budget considerations,” he said. “From a community service standpoint, having done volunteer work for many years, I hope to establish some more formalized volunteer programs for Poquott based on resident interest and feedback.”
The Village of Poquott election for village trustees will be held Tuesday, June 15, from noon to 9 p.m. at Village Hall located at 45 Birchwood Ave.
Bright Side wins Poquott trustees election
Voters in the Village of Poquott took a walk on the Bright Side June 18.
Tuesday night Poquott residents had the opportunity to choose among four candidates for two trustee seats on the village board. Incumbent Jeff Koppelson, who was aiming for a third term, and newcomer Tina Cioffi ran together on the Bright Side ticket and won, according to the village’s deputy clerk Cindy Schleider. Cioffi garnered the most votes at 208, while Koppelson had 207.
The duo ran against incumbent John Richardson, who was running for his second term as trustee, and Felicia Chillak, who gained 184 and 187 votes, respectively. Both were on the We the People ticket.
Koppelson complemented his running mate’s campaigning in an email.
“Tina did a great job campaigning and showed why her energy and personality will serve the village well,” he said. “Considering the size of Poquott, our margin of victory was pretty decisive so all of us feel that our message was heard and appreciated.”
With the village putting years of debate over the recently constructed community dock behind them, the incumbent recognized the amount of votes Richardson and Chillak received. The We the People candidates were proponents of the dock being put to a referendum and felt residents needed more of a voice in village regulations.
“John Richardson and Felicia did garner a lot of votes, so we are well aware that the village continues to be divided,” Koppelson said. “We’ve tried to be inclusive, but we hope that having Tina on the board will help build consensus moving forward. Bottom line, though, is that once again the election showed that a majority of the residents in Poquott approve of the work we’ve done and direction we’ve taken the village.”
On the Facebook page Poquott Life Matters, which Chillak administrates, she posted a message after the results were in.
“Thank you to all those who came out and supported John and I,” she wrote. “Unfortunately, we were 21 votes shy. Just know we will continue for what we believe.”
Paul Edelson ran unopposed for village justice and received 344 votes.
Poquott trustees address village issues before election
On June 18, Poquott residents will head to the polls to choose between four candidates vying for two trustee spots. This year’s incumbents Jeff Koppelson and John Richardson will go up against newcomers Felicia Chillak and Tina Cioffi. Paul Edelson is running unopposed for a four-year term as village justice.
All four board members recently answered questions via email and phone.
Incumbents
Koppelson, 71, has served two two-year terms as trustee and since 2017 has been deputy mayor. A Poquott resident for 47 years, he is a retired director of a psychiatric treatment program. He and Cioffi are running on the Bright Side ticket.
“I decided to run because there are a number of projects that I’ve been working on that are still in progress, such as developing a plan to stabilize Walnut Beach and continuing to rewrite our outdated village codes,” Koppelson said.
The trustee said the language for many of the codes had to be updated to bring them into compliance and to make them consistent with each other. Codes often overlap, he said, and “a number of times one code said one thing and another code contradicted it.”
Municipalities are now required to follow the International Building Code, which covers multiple construction and zoning issues. Koppelson said while a village can make a code stricter, it cannot make a code more lenient.
“So, it is important that we have our codes not only comply but be distilled down to what we as a small village need to know,” he said, adding the village posts the codes on its website for easy accessibility for residents.
After a code is rewritten, it is circulated among the board members for comments, and then a public hearing is held to give residents the opportunity to point out errors or inconsistencies before it is given to the village attorney.
Richardson, 44, is completing his first term as trustee and last year ran for mayor against Dee Parrish. The New York City firefighter has lived in the village for nearly 18 years, and he is running in the We the People Party with Chillak.
“I would like to keep some form of checks and balances on the board to prevent unfair laws and issues from being rubber stamped and pushed through and allow village residents more say on how their village is governed,” Richardson said.
Richardson said he opposes the board’s plan to classifying a zoning violation as a misdemeanor and to request a search warrant to enter someone’s home for inspection as the village deems necessary. He added he feels the moves would be an overreach of the government.
“I would like to curb the intrusive hostile government laws trying to be passed,” Richardson said.
Koppelson said Richardson’s objection is an example of codes needing to be updated, and a process was recently needed for emergency situations as one didn’t exist. For example, if it is believed there is a dangerous situation in a house and the owners don’t agree to an inspection, a search warrant is needed to evaluate the situation. It was a suggestion that came from village attorney Joseph Prokop, Koppelson said, who told the trustee that similar situations have occurred in other villages that he does legal work for.
Challengers
Chillak, 61, is vying for trustee for the second time after an unsuccessful run in 2018 for a seat. A realtor with HR Realty since 1990, she has lived in Poquott for 29 years and has been a member of the Poquott Civic Association board since 2014.
“I am running again because I feel there should be a balance on the board,” she said. “I will continue to review and analyze all changes made in our village. As always, I will seek residents’ input because this village belongs to them. I will be the voice of the voiceless.”
She feels that many residents are hesitant to approach the board but feel comfortable talking to her, and she feels she can be a conduit between the village government and residents.
“The Village of Poquott was formed because residents did not want outside influence controlling their everyday lives,” she said. “This current board seems to be bed rocked in government control. I will strive for a balance, so we can once again enjoy all the pleasures of residing in our little corner of heaven.”
Cioffi, 50, is running for trustee for the first time. A former creative director in a Long Island-based advertising agency for 15 years, she has owned a marketing and communications consulting business since 2003. She has lived in Poquott since 2008, and her husband has owned their home since 1986.
Cioffi said maintaining the village’s website and attending board meetings inspired her to get involved.
“I saw a lot of good happening in our village as well a lot of controversy,” she said. “I saw both sides of most of the arguments and felt that my background in communications might lend a hand in resolving some of the issues, so I volunteered to redesign the website as it was an area that all the candidates agreed needed to be addressed.”
Community dock
Poquott’s dock will officially open June 13, but for years it was a hot button topic in the village. The dock, located in California Park at the end of Washington Street, had been discussed by residents for nearly a decade, and while several protested the idea, the village board began the process of building one a few years ago.
Richardson and Chillak feel the issue is behind the village now, but in the past, both called for a referendum for residents to vote on it as both candidates didn’t feel prior questionnaires that were mailed to residents about the dock were adequate.
“The current board spoke, ignored the request of the people and for now, we have to move on,” Chillak said. “I will work toward that unity.”
All the candidates feel there may be unforeseeable issues with the dock, and it will take a season of use to formalize guidelines.
“We will need a season of using it to learn how to manage hours of usage, loitering and noise issues, and deployment of our code enforcement officers,” Koppelson said. “We also expect that there will be new, evolving issues that inevitably arise.”
Richardson said he believes all aspects “of the dock should have been discussed and decided before the dock was built.”
Other issues
All four trustees agreed that there are issues outside of the dock to resolve in the village.
Koppelson said the board has to address drainage issues in the village, and he would also like to work toward an affordable, short-term solution to stabilizing what is left of Walnut Beach. He said the village also needs to develop a way to speed up the seasonal road repair process, which starts after the winter and involves the advertising of bids and then waiting for the next board meeting to open the bids and award the contract. This leads to work not being completed until well into spring.
Cioffi agreed that the village faces the degrading of Walnut Beach and infrastructure changes including repaving and drainage and lighting systems needing to be modified “but few of the residents want to incur the tax increase that would be required to fully accommodate those requests.”
The candidate said she would like to work on feasibility studies that compare Poquott to other incorporated villages in order to find out where the village falls short and form committees with interested residents to work together with the board to obtain grants.
“I think it’s going to be a multiphase endeavor similar to how the current board addresses issues now but on a larger scale and with more people involved to expedite the process,” she said, adding the new village website includes a community section to foster participation for resident-based clubs and organizations.
Richardson and Chillak also agreed that there are issues regarding roads, lighting and drainage that need to be addressed with long-term plans.
“There are residents that have spoken of their willingness to help,” Chillak said. “I will engage them to the best of my ability.”
Chillak said the auditor’s last report was also troubling to her, and she feels finances are another major issue. She said even though the budget looks as if the village is on target, she feels the auditor’s comments at a recent village meeting point to the fund balance being dangerously close to low.
Unity
Many feel the community dock has caused divisiveness in the village over the years, but the candidates feel that can end.
Cioffi said she ran a charity drive in December where she felt all the residents contributed generously, and if she’s elected, she plans on more community-based initiatives for children and teenagers to bring residents together.
“The residents of Poquott share a lot of common ground and we need to build on it, not break it down,” she said. “Collaboration is key. If there is an issue, a black or white solution is not going to satisfy every resident. If I’m elected, I’m going to look for the solutions that strike compromises and land somewhere in between.”
Richardson said nothing would make him happier than to see residents come together.
“The polarization of neighbors has gone on too long,” he said. “It’s a shame, because it takes away from what makes Poquott such a great place. How do you facilitate that? I think it could start with neighbors sharing more hellos and handshakes, and less rumors, lies and insults.”
The Village of Poquott will hold its annual election Tuesday, June 18, at Village Hall located at 45 Birchwood Ave. Polling will be open from 12 to 9 p.m. for voting.
