A fresh face, a fast clock

Sometimes it’s good to shake up the status quo. Riverhead Supervisor Jerry Halpin is a good example of why.

Whether or not Halpin can accomplish his still-evolving agenda—in the short time he has to essentially move mountains—his very presence in Town Hall is refreshing.

He brings a new energy to the job, on the order of something I’ve never seen in town government. I mean, who goes to the Town Hall lobby—and other government buildings around town—to greet employees as they arrive for work? The man oozes excitement and positivity. Everything is “awesome” and “fantastic.” So much so, that a cynical old crow like me can’t help wondering: Can this be genuine?

After what seemed, on the surface, like a quiet, light-on-issues campaign, I adopted a “we’ll see” attitude. So I went to the “meet the new supervisor” event held by the Heart of Riverhead Civic Association Saturday at the library. I wanted to see how he presented himself—and how people responded.

One thing’s for sure: no one will ever accuse the guy of being a stuffed shirt. He couldn’t be more down to earth, in his dress and his demeanor. At one point he sat on the stage step—after inviting newly elected County Legislator Greg Doroski to take a seat on the stage to answer a question that was really more about county affairs.

Halpin didn’t waste time. He launched into what the last 16 days have been like since he was sworn in, and it sounds like a whirlwind. He’s in download mode—taking it all in, processing fast, moving fast. He thinks as fast as he talks, which is hyper-speed. He’s obviously a quick study—and a hard worker.

The meeting had a good turnout, and Halpin got a warm reception.

It’s a shame Election ’26 is already underway, thanks to New York’s Even Year Election Law, which turned this supervisor term into a one-year sprint. Party committees have to pick their candidates for supervisor — the only Riverhead Town office on the ballot in November — before the middle of February.

The Republicans are screening prospective supervisor candidates on Jan. 24. One incumbent board member, Council Member Ken Rothwell, has already said he will screen for the post. The previous supervisor, Tim Hubbard, whom Halpin ousted by just 37 votes, has said he hasn’t ruled out running again to reclaim the office. Rumors are swirling that Hubbard is pursuing it, even if it means a primary against the committee’s choice.

The only thing we can know for sure is that this year can get pretty crazy for Halpin pretty fast—if he’s even running again. (He won’t publicly commit to it.)

Does Halpin know how to get things done in town government? How will he deal with a Town Board whose members may well be united in opposition to his re-election—not as a personal matter, but as political reality—and can be expected to make every effort to ensure he’s a one-term supervisor?

But that might not be as easy as the four Republican incumbents might hope. I’m not sure there’s all that much daylight between what Halpin stands for and what they stand for. Halpin ran on the Democratic Party line, but he’s not a Democrat. He’s a “blank” —not enrolled in any party. He talks the talk of a fiscal conservative. And as the longtime pastor of a nondenominational Christian church, it’s a safe bet he’s also social conservative. Remember, too, he disassociated himself from a running mate affiliated with the Democratic Socialists of America.

He doesn’t seem to aspire to change course on too many substantive issues confronting the town. He seems to aspire to make the government work better to accomplish its goals. That will make some people happy and others alarmed, depending on what they think about the direction the town’s been going.

Halpin appears convinced that his positive energy—and the leadership skills he’s honed over 30 years as a minister—will make the difference. That he can secure trust and cooperation from fellow board members and the town workforce, and that they can work together for the common public good. Isn’t that how it’s supposed to work?

Some might call that naive. I’m not so sure. I don’t think he’s naive so much as disarmingly optimistic.

However all the politics works out, it’s refreshing to have someone with that kind of positive, can-do attitude in a position of leadership. It’s rare—especially in a time when too many leaders think they can lead by demeaning people, name-calling and scowling instead of smiling.