Contested village races include Southampton Mayor Jesse Warren who’s facing challenge from trustee William Manger

Southampton voters will go to the polls on June 16 to pick a mayor — one of more than a half-dozen Long Island villages with contested races next month.

In the Southampton race, Mayor Jesse Warren is facing a challenge from trustee William Manger, 58, who declared his candidacy 10 months after taking his seat on the village board.

Warren, 40, is seeking a new two-year term at the end of a turbulent second term in which the village hired a police chief who resigned before taking office. 

The four current trustees have been at odds with Warren in recent months, a strife that boiled over when Warren voted against hiring Suffolk Deputy Police Commissioner Anthony Carter as the village’s chief of police. The board appointed Carter in December, but he decided against taking the position a month later.

Warren said Carter had few local ties and had yet to take the Civil Service examination, leaving no guarantee he would pass or finish with a score among the top three candidates, as required.

Warren, who owns the village business Tenet, said he believes the village “is in really good shape right now,” citing lower property taxes, fewer downtown vacancies, sewer district progress and the creation of an arts and culture overlay district.

“I’d like to really finish up what we started four years ago, and I have a lot of projects I’d like to see to the finish line,” he said.

Manger, who served in the U.S. Department of Transportation and Small Business Administration during the Trump administration, won a village trustee seat last June; he would keep that seat if he loses the mayor’s race.

“I just think the village needs new leadership and we need someone who can lead the current board,” he said.

Trustees Robin Brown and Roy Stevenson are seeking reelection on the same ticket as Manger. Warren is running on a slate with newcomers Greg Centeno, an architect, and Palmer Hudson, who has a computer science background, the mayor said.

The mayor’s annual salary is $25,000, and trustees are paid $15,000.

In other contested village races:

Bellport

Maureen Veitch and Kieran Murphy are running to succeed Mayor Raymond Fell, who must step down after serving the maximum 10 years allowed under the village’s term limits law. The term for mayor is two years, and the annual salary is $9,000.

Huntington Bay

Incumbent trustees Mark Dara and Barbara Beuerlein are facing a challenge from Janice Schillig for two open seats. Terms are two years. Salary information was not available.

Manorhaven

Incumbent trustees Vincent Costa and Khristine Shahipour are being challenged by Jeffrey A. Stone for two open seats. Terms are two years. Village officials refused to disclose trustee salaries, which are public information. 

Ocean Beach

Incumbent trustees Matthew Blake and Christopher F. Norris are facing challenges from Robert Cernilli, Ian Levine and Jennifer Moritz for two open seats. Trustees serve for four years and receive $651.82 in annual salary. They also receive medical benefits or reimbursement with a value cap at $15,630.50.

Poquott

Three candidates are running for two trustee seats, and two people are running for village justice.

John Musiello Jr., Jeremy Flynt and Jim Ma are running for trustee. Trustees serve for two years.

Darlene Mercieca and Paul Edelson are running for the open village justice seat. The term is four years.

Trustees are unpaid. Justices are paid $250 for each monthly session of court.

Port Jefferson

Trustee Lauren M. Sheprow and Kathianne Snaden are running to succeed Mayor Margot J. Garant, who will step down in July after completing her seventh two-year term.

In the trustee race, former village clerk Robert J. Juliano is challenging incumbent Stanley Loucks.

Terms for both mayor and trustee are two years. Annual salaries are $35,000 for the mayor, and $12,500 for trustees.

Sagaponack

Incumbent trustees Carrie Crowley and William Barbour face a challenge from David G. McMillan Jr. for two open seats. Trustees are not paid. Terms are two years.

Sag Harbor

Incumbent Village Justice Steven Tekulsky is being challenged by Carl Irace. The term is four years.