Stewart Manor Trustee James Lynch resigns
In a surprising announcement made at a public work session on Nov. 19, Stewart Manor Deputy Mayor James Lynch announced his resignation from the village board of trustees, effective immediately.
Stewart Manor Mayor Gerard Tangredi has announced that Trustee Michael Onorato will replace Lynch as deputy mayor; village resident Orlando Sa has been appointed to serve out Lynch’s remaining term as trustee on the board.
James Lynch served on the village board for almost three years, with his final year seeing him move up to the position of Deputy Mayor; however, recent personal issues have caused him to re-prioritize his life, as revealed in his resignation letter that he shared with Anton News.
“I take this measure after much reflection because of my inability to perform what is required of this volunteer position,” he said. “In the past year, my father, who encouraged me to participate in all community affairs, began to have health problems that ended with his passing in the fall. During the time he was sick, I tried to balance caring for him and my mother with my commitment to my own family and of course, to the governance of this village.”
“There were times where I was unable to successfully accomplish what I set out to do,” Lynch continued. “I have also recently taken on other work opportunities, which will limit my free time further. These are my reasons for leaving.”
However, Lynch described his service to the village of Stewart Manor as a positive experience that he would never forget.
“It is hard to describe how much of a pleasure it has been to work as a trustee for this village,” he said. “I have thoroughly enjoyed the company of my fellow Board members, our department leaders and staff and the interaction with my neighbors. But it has been my great joy to work with my friend, Mayor Jerry Tangredi.”
Tangredi expressed sadness at the surprise announcement that Lynch would be departing the board of trustees, and wished his friend well on his future endeavors.
“I just learned about the issues he was having a few weeks ago,” he said. “James really got involved with the village and its activities…when I became mayor last year, I made him my deputy mayor. He was popular around the village, he was my confidant, and he was a real help…I’m going to miss him a lot.”
Replacing Lynch in his capacity as deputy mayor will be Trustee Michael Onorato. A retired Con-Edison worker who has served as a trustee on the village board for the past year, Onorato is the right man for the right job, Tangredi said.
“He’s a great guy…he’s a businessman, he’s a professor, and he has skills that will help us greatly,” he said. “He’s been working with us very closely for the last few weeks, so it should be great to have him as our new deputy mayor.”
Serving out Lynch’s remaining term as trustee will be long-time Stewart Manor resident Orlando Sa, Tangredi announced.
A resident of the Village since 1992, Sa is a retired NYPD Sergeant who has also owned and operated a masonry company for more than 10 years. His wife, Karen, is a member of the Village Beautification Committee, and the couple has two children.
Despite only a few months remaining on Lynch’s original term, Tangredi lauded Sa for being more than willing to step up and do what he considered his civic duty.
“He’s willing to give it a try and help us out…most people wouldn’t want to come in for only three or four months,” he said. “He’s a big supporter of ours, and he keeps up with everything that’s happening in the Village, including the businesses…there’s an election in March, and hopefully he will get re-elected to the position.”
