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Supervisor Vecchio signs his Oath of OfficeThe Town Board met Thursday evening to appoint Patrick Vecchio and Lynne C. Nowick to the offices they were elected to fill in the November 2013 election. The ceremony was brief, the audience was filled with Vecchio supporters, curious residents and political beings. They showed their affection and support for the Supervisor with applause and cheers.
Deputy Supervisor Tom McCarthy read a resolution calling for a vote to appoint Patrick Vecchio to the office of Supervisor for a term ending Dec. 31, 2014. Town Clerk Vincent Puleo called the names of the three seated councilmen. Councilman McCarthy “yes”, Councilman Wehrheim “yes”, Councilman Creighton “yes”. Finished. The thirty-five year incumbent was back in office; at least for another year. Applause followed. Supervisor Vecchio was seated in the front row of seats taking it all in.
The second resolution called for the appointment of Lynne C. Nowick. Again a unanimous vote. Councilwoman Nowick was not in attendance.
McCarthy thanked the Councilmen and invited Judge J. Toomey up to the dais to administer the oath of office to Patrick Vecchio. He then requested that the Supervisor sign the oath making it official. Supervisor Vecchio went on to thank the councilmen and the audience for their support.
Meeting adjourned. There was no opportunity for the public to comment.
Town Clerk Vincent Puleo in an interview with Smithtown Matters Thursday afternoon said he was going to address the Town Board at the meeting. There was no opportunity for him to do so. He had copies of his prepared text which he distributed to the press.
Town Clerk Vincent Puleo’s statement:
This past week has seemingly been open season on my integrity and honor. Although I was out of town on a pre-arranged vacation, my silence has been deemed an admission of some sort of guilt. I assure you that guilt is the last emotion I feel as I seek to set the record straight. The saying “Don’t shoot the Messenger” has never been truer than in this instance.
There have been many false statements regarding how the Oaths of Office have previously been filed here in Smithtown. NEVER have I or any member of my staff ever brought the required paperwork to a Town Official. All officials including Supervisor Vecchio, have ALWAYS come to the office of the Clerk, and whether witnessed by myself or my staff, executed all documents in my office. ln 2005 & 2010 the oaths were signed in my office after the swearing in on the steps of Town Hall.
There are many offices in Smithtown both elected and appointed which are never sworn in on the steps of Town Hall. But most of those individuals managed to find their way to the Clerk’s Office within the required time periods
It is somewhat disconcerting to me that this dereliction of duty has not been appropriately placed at the feet of those who failed to meet their obligations. Nor is it comprehensible to me how these individuals can show indignation and skirt their own failings without as much as an apology to those who elected them.
There was no agenda, no grand conspiracy. No one purposely withheld information from anyone. The office of the Clerk was available to all those who had a responsibility pursuant to their job description to use due diligence to insure that their Oaths of Office were filed on time.
Lastly, may I say that I am as disturbed as my fellow residents that such a debacle has occurred in our Town. However, it would have been a dereliction of my duties to fail to report the lack of filings. As an elected official myself, I take pride in doing my due diligence in effectuating my job.
It is my hope, that I have clarified some of the misconceptions and laid to rest the conspiracy theories which have found their way in to the media.
Vincent Puleo Town Clerk