Smithtown, NY: On the morning of Monday, January 3rd, Suffolk County Legislator Kevin J. McCaffrey was unanimously selected by his peers to serve as the next Presiding Officer of the Suffolk County Legislature.
Every two years, the Suffolk County Legislature calls to order an Organizational Meeting on the first business day following New Year's Day. At this meeting, new Legislators will be sworn into office for the first time, new Legislative employees will assume their roles, and the Legislators will cast votes for who will lead them as Presiding Officer and Deputy Presiding Officer.
At this year's meeting, Legislator McCaffery was sworn into office for a fifth consecutive term representing the Fourteenth Legislative District, which encompasses the Village of Lindenhurst, Village of Babylon, the hamlets of West Babylon and North Lindenhurst, portions of Copiague, North Babylon and Babylon’s barrier beach communities. Additionally, Legislator McCaffrey was chosen unanimously by his fellow lawmakers to serve as Presiding Officer of the Legislature.
In calling the meeting to order, Legislator McCaffrey was proud to introduce a sample of all that the Village of Lindenhurst has to offer, including Lindenhurst resident Kassidy Collins, who performed an amazing rendition of the National Anthem as the Lindenhurst Marine Corps JROTC stood guard, and Monsignor Joseph DeGrocco of Our Lady of Perpetual Help delivered an invocation. Former United States Congressman Pete King, a longtime friend and mentor to Legislator McCaffrey, administered a ceremonial Oath of Office.
This year, there are several new faces to the Legislature, including Legislator Stephanie Bontempi, Legislator Manny Esteban, Legislator Trish Bergin, and Legislator Dominick Thorne. These freshman Legislators account for four of the eleven Republican seats on the Legislature, and as a result the Suffolk County Legislature’s Republican Caucus became the majority party for the first time in 16 years. The seven returning Legislators include Legislator Jim Mazzarella, Legislator Nick Caracappa, Legislator Anthony Piccirillo, Legislator Steve Flotteron, Legislator Leslie Kennedy, Legislator Rob Trotta, and Legislator Kevin McCaffrey.
Legislator McCaffrey looks forward to leading the Legislature and the County, including new Police Commissioner Rodney Harrison and District Attorney Ray Tierney, to preserve the safety of the public we serve, in addition to increasing the fiscal responsibility of the county government and making this County an affordable and environmentally conscious place for us and our children to live and grow.
Thank you to my friends and family, as well as my staff and all of my supporters for giving me this opportunity. I cannot wait to continue serving my District and taking our initiatives across all of Suffolk!
Joining Legislator McCaffrey in new leadership positions are Legislators Flotteron, Caracappa, and Jason Richberg, who will serve as Deputy Presiding Officer, Majority Leader, and Minority Leader, respectively.