Your guide to Riverhead’s 2013 fire district elections

Seats on the Riverhead and Jamesport board of fire commissioners are being contested in local elections this Tuesday.

In Riverhead, incumbent commissioner and ex-chief Dennis Hamill will face off against Kevin Barty, a member of the department and the Ironman drill team. Nearby, a former Jamesport captain, John Newman, is seeking to take incumbent commissioner Joel Lazarus place on the board.

Incumbents in Flanders and Wading River are running unopposed.

Below is a breakdown of the Dec. 10 fire district elections:

RIVERHEAD

Voting is from 3 to 9 p.m. at Riverhead fire headquarters on Roanoke Avenue.

One seat is open:

Incumbent Dennis Hamill has been with the RFD since 1972. He served as a company officer, chief, and commissioner before leaving the department due to work obligations in 1991. He rejoined as a commissioner in 2008. We just went through a rigorous state audit and we came out pretty good and we definitely stayed under the 2 percent tax cap, he said, adding that the board must weigh the needs of firefighters including replacing aging equipment against raising taxes on the districts taxpayers. At the end of the day its gotta be a perfect balance.

Kevin Barty joined the RFD 15 years ago from Manorville, where he previously served for 12 years as a firefighter. He was captain of the Ever Ready company in Riverhead and joined the Ironman team. He is self-employed as a contractor and runs a gutter installation business. He remains an active member of the department.

Mr. Hamill is a nice guy, he said. From 1972, hes made his mark on the fire department, and I feel now its time for a change, someone with a fresh look. Mr. Barty said his experience as a business owner gives him the ability to help manage the districts finances effectively, explore grant opportunities and keep taxes down.

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Your guide to Riverhead’s 2013 fire district elections