Riverhead supervisor bows out: Aguiar announces she will not seek a third term of office

Riverhead Supervisor announced last night she will not seek a third term of office.

She did not provide a reason for her decision.

Aguiar made the announcement public in a statement emailed by Deputy Supervisor Devon Higgins at shortly before 7:30 p.m. Friday.

According to the press release, the supervisor first announced her decision yesterday evening “during a live Zoom meeting with members of her staff and various supporters.”

In her statement, Aguiar cites guiding the town through the pandemic, the purchase and demolition of two blighted buildings on Main Street for a new town square, which she called “the key component for revitalizing our downtown and our train station area,” and the purchase of property on West Second Street for a new Town Hall as significant accomplishments of her tenure as supervisor. “Other initiatives are well on their way,” Aguiar said in the statement.

“As a result, Riverhead is unequivocally on the map. What a bittersweet week, Riverhead was designated as one of the 2023 destination locations across the world by the distinguished and highly acclaimed magazine Forbes,” Aguiar said in the statement, referring to the magazine’s annual list of the top 50 travel destinations, which was published Jan. 9. RiverheadLOCAL first reported the distinction Monday morning and a number of other local and regional media outlets followed suit later in the week.

Aguiar’s term of office ends Dec. 31.

On Election Day, Nov. 7, Riverhead voters will choose a supervisor, who serves a two-year term, and two council members, who serve four-year terms. Other local offices to be filled at this year’e election include town clerk, a spot presently held by the town’s only elected Democrat, Diane Wilhelm, two tax assessors, positions currently held by Meredith Lipinsky and Dana Brown, and a town justice, a seat held by incumbent Lori Hulse.

The terms of council members Tim Hubbard and Frank Beyrodt also end this year. Neither man has made any announcement about whether he will seek re-election.

Hubbard, who expressed interest in running for supervisor in 2021, has been spoken of as a potential candidate for supervisor this year. He has acknowledged that he is considering running for supervisor this year but has stopped short of making any announcement.

MORE COVERAGE: Incumbent Town Board members mum on whether they’ll seek re-election this year

The Riverhead Republican Committee will choose its slate of candidates at a meeting later this month, according to Victor Prusinowski, who chairs the party’s candidate screening committee. He did not announce a date.

The first day candidates’ designating petitions can be signed in this year’s election is Feb. 28, so both the Republican and Democratic committees will need to have their candidates chosen before then.

Aguiar in her statement last night called her time in office “an incredible journey.”

“Please be assured in the next 11 months, I am committed to continue building our future foundation. I will leave you then with a deep-rooted foundation for progress, which will afford all our residents to prosper, with an enhanced quality of life for many years to come,” Aguiar said in the statement.