A bellicose battle on Bell Boulevard is coming to an end with the close of the Bayside Village BID’s contentious election.
Mitchell Catanzano won a spot on the board as the sole residential member, beating out former executive director Gregg Sullivan. Catanzano earned his first seat on the board with two proxy votes, according to the BID’s executive director Lyle Sclair, while Sullivan only had one after voting for himself.
A mix up involving two proxy votes during the initial July 16 election caused controversy within the board and its candidates, when Sullivan criticized the poor communication between himself and Sclair. Sullivan thought he’d be running for a Class B spot, but instead found himself on the Class C resident’s ballot.
Sullivan sent out a mass community email condemning the BID and calling for a debate last week, but he changed his tune soon after and withdrew his candidacy for a spot on the board.
“This has been really rough on me. I didn’t like the politics and how it was getting ugly,” Sullivan said. “Mitch is my friend. I stepped aside to give him a chance on the board and I’d like to move on. Right now, the best thing for Bayside is exactly what is taking place.”
Sullivan said he felt relieved in distancing himself from the BID, which he said would give him time to focus on his new business venture, BaysideLiveTV.com.
“Mitch is going to do great. I’m going to continue to serve Bayside. I couldn’t be any more pleased,” he said. “The whole town is awake and aware. They’ll be watching over the BID. It’s a great weight off my shoulders.”
Sclair said he didn’t think there was controversy in regards to the election and said the board was upfront, providing enough notification for people to sign up for nominations.
The executive director said over 40 percent of board members are serving for the first time, and he said he looks forward to a future of fresh faces.
“I think that’s a very good turnover rate. They’re already coming in with new recommendations, new suggestions,” Sclair said.
