North Haven's Ballot

North Haven is a small village with remarkable energy, a deeply engaged electorate, and a government that is active and passionate about the 2.7-square-mile peninsula they call home. In recent years, it has been a political hotbed of sorts, and its elections are almost always contested — and interesting. This year is no exception.

Two seats on the Village Board are up next Tuesday, June 17, and there are three candidates: incumbents Terie Diat and Peter Boody, and challenger Max Rohn. At a virtual debate on June 4, they didn’t disappoint — the three engaged in a substantive discussion aimed at the few hundred voters who will cast ballots next week.

A lot of the political discussion in North Haven comes down to personalities. Issues matter, of course, but voters are closer to the candidates than in most jurisdictions, and that bleeds over into the conversation.

Rohn, the newcomer to the village’s politics, acquitted himself well and will benefit from running with close connections to Boody and to the other incumbents, who see a chance to improve the atmosphere at Village Hall, to make its discussions more “cordial.” But, no fault to Rohn, that’s a bit of a red flag.

In fact, a little friction is not just healthy, it’s necessary. In North Haven, most of that friction comes from Diat challenging Mayor Chris Fiore and his compatriots — sometimes playing the contrarian, but most of the time genuinely staking out a position at odds, and willing to defend it vigorously. Even at the debate, Diat criticized spending and dug in on the need for a comprehensive plan to plot a course for future zoning changes designed to limit house size. But she is always professional, always willing to support her position with facts, never unpleasant: It can be frustrating when someone disagrees with you, but that doesn’t make it impolite. But Diat, on the cell service solutions, on the need for a comp plan, on water quality issues, also happens to be on the right side more often than not.

Ultimately, there’s just no compelling reason for incumbents Terie Diat and Peter Boody to lose their seats at the dais. Like Diat, Boody is a thoughtful official who doesn’t turn away from a good argument, in a productive sense. A longtime former editor for several news organizations on the East End, most notably at The Southampton Press, he’s steeped in local issues and has the tools to break down the issues in a dynamic way. He, too, never allows the debate to turn personal — and the residents of the village benefit from this kind of representation.

Rohn has lived in the village for eight years and has been a splendid addition to the community, and he comes to the race having already been willing to volunteer to help the mayor with Lovelady Park. His business acumen is strong, and he’s a superb candidate — call it an “embarrassment of riches” for North Haven voters, who can cast two votes with a great deal of confidence.