How do you follow up someone’s 34 years of distinguished service that has found so many people describing that person as being irreplaceable? Well you might try hiring the equivalent of a political rock star, which for the purposes of this example is former Glen Cove mayor Ralph Suozzi. The ginormous shoes that he’ll be trying to fill are those of the deservedly beloved Robert Schoelle, who put in 34 years as Garden City’s village administrator. Then again, Suozzi is no stranger to public service, having served four two-year terms as the mayor of one of Long Island’s two cities (the other being Long Beach). During that time, he reduced the deficit he inherited by 79 percent, cut expenses by $4.1 million annually and secured more than $48 million in federal, state and local grants. He also generated more than $3 million in new revenue sources and led a $1 billion waterfront revitalization project. With that kind of background, Suozzi should be able to build and expand on the successes Robert Schoelle had during the three plus decades he served as village administrator for Garden City.
—Dave Gil de Rubio
