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Sag Harbor trustees ask mayor to resign after censure; mayor says he will not step down
Summary
Sag Harbor Village Board of Trustees censured Mayor Tom Gardella following an investigation that alleged a code-of-conduct violation and budget mishandling; the board asked for his resignation and anti-harassment training, which Gardella agreed to undergo but said he will not resign.
The Sag Harbor Board of Trustees voted to censure Mayor Tom Gardella and asked for his resignation after releasing the results of an internal investigation that, according to the board, found he violated the village code of conduct and mishandled budgeting procedures.
As first reported on-air and attributed to local reporting, the board held the investigation after a controversial social-media post was made public. The board also asked the mayor to undergo anti-harassment training; the broadcast noted Gardella agreed to the training. During remarks reported on-air, Mayor Tom Gardella said directly, "I will not resign... That's not going to happen. You have me confused with somebody else. I'm not the guy that runs from a crisis." The report said public comment at the village meeting included both supporters of the mayor and residents echoing the board’s call for resignation.
Local reporting referenced in the segment said Gardella had publicly apologized the prior month for a transphobic comment that sparked the original inquiry. The board’s censure is a formal expression of disapproval but is separate from removal from office; the broadcast did not report any formal removal action or a vote to oust the mayor.
The village board’s request and the mayor’s refusal to resign set up competing positions that are likely to remain unresolved in public meetings and through further reporting. The broadcast indicated ongoing coverage and said it would keep viewers posted as the story develops.
