Town of Hempstead board appoints John F. Ferretti to fill supervisor vacancy amid public outcry

The Town of Hempstead board voted to appoint John F. Ferretti to fill the vacant office of town supervisor after Don Clavin announced he was stepping down. The appointment was made by motion and vote during a board meeting; Ferretti was sworn in during the session.

The move drew immediate and sustained criticism from residents who said the board should have followed the town code’s succession practice and allowed the sitting deputy supervisor to assume the role. Dozens of residents addressed the board during an extended public-comment period, raising procedural, ethical and campaign-fairness concerns and urging the board to hold a special election instead of making an appointment.

Why it matters: Critics said the appointment creates an incumbent advantage ahead of the November election by permitting the town to distribute promotional material that they say favors the new supervisor. Supporters of a quick appointment said the board acted to maintain continuity in town government. The public record shows strong disagreement over whether the board followed local code and whether use of town mailings and communications creates an uneven playing field for challengers.

Outgoing Supervisor Don Clavin announced his resignation during the meeting, telling the board it had been “an honor and a privilege” to serve. The board then considered and approved a motion to appoint John F. Ferretti of Levittown to fill the vacancy. The motion was moved from the floor by the supervisor and seconded; the board then voted to approve the appointment and administered the oath of office to Ferretti.

Public commenters seized on two central complaints: one, that the board bypassed the deputy supervisor and thereby denied voters a special election; and two, that town-produced mailers and other communications gave the appointee an unfair, taxpayer-funded visibility advantage in the run-up to the election. Pearl Jacobs, president of the Northland Grant Civic Association in Uniondale, asked the board directly: “Why wasn't town law followed today by appointing deputy supervisor Goosby as town supervisor?”

Residents detailed what they called the practical effects of the appointment. At a July mailing cited by several speakers, a town newsletter featured photographs and text highlighting programs and projects alongside the appointee’s name; one commenter estimated the cost of a single townwide mailer at about $80,000 and said the town had sent many such pieces. Those claims — about the number and cost of mailers — were made by speakers during public comment and attributed to them in this report.

Other speakers framed the appointment as part of broader grievances about government transparency and decision-making. Paris Popak, the immediate past deputy mayor of Lawrence, said the board had previously moved on zoning and development matters the community opposed and that residents deserved a fuller role in choosing leadership now: “The original decision to change the zoning in 2019 was not done honestly,” Popak said, summarizing long-standing local opposition to a transit-oriented development zoning change.

Some speakers used stronger language. James Hodge, a resident, told the board that the process amounted to a “cheap shot,” saying voters would remember the appointment as a form of cheating. Lynn Krug of Garden City said board actions during the Clavin administration had “done us dirty and sold us out,” characterizing the mailings and the appointment as an improper use of public resources.

Board members who voted for the appointment spoke briefly on the floor before the vote in favor of moving quickly to fill the vacancy; others did not speak at length during the public portion of the meeting. The record shows the motion to appoint John F. Ferretti was made from the dais and seconded; the appointment was approved by vote and Ferretti was sworn in immediately afterward.

Legal and procedural questions were raised repeatedly by residents. Several commenters cited Town of Hempstead municipal code provisions on succession (speakers referred to what they identified as chapter 21 of the town code) and New York state Town Law; some argued the board’s action was inconsistent with those sources and called for either an immediate special election or a formal legal review. Town staff and board members did not cite a specific court injunction or final legal ruling during the meeting; questions about legal compliance were voiced by multiple speakers but not resolved at the session.

The meeting closed with repeated calls from residents for voters to weigh in in November and for future leaders to emphasize transparency. Several speakers said they would press their concerns at the ballot box; others asked the board to change procedures for appointments and the use of town communications.

The board’s action will stand pending any legal action or further board action. The meeting record shows the appointment was approved by vote and the oath administered. Several residents asked for additional documentation and clarity from town staff about the legal basis for the appointment and about spending on town mailings; those requests were raised during public comment but the board did not adopt new procedural measures during the same session.