Conflict with New Job Forces Village Trustee Burke to Resign

A new job in the New York State Attorney General’s office has forced Port Jefferson trustee James Burke to give up his seat on the village board.

Burke said he handed in a formal letter to Mayor Margot Garant a “couple of weeks ago” and the mayor has accepted his resignation.

“He had to resign,” said Garant. “He cannot be an elected official working with the Attorney General’s office.”

Burke started at his new job on Sept. 1 as an assistant attorney general in the real property bureau for the downstate region, which he says covers Queens, Brooklyn, Nassau and Suffolk. At the time he didn’t know that he had to give up his seat on the board but quickly realized he couldn’t serve anymore.

Before taking the job at the Attorney General’s office, Burke was with a law firm in Melville and had once been an attorney for the Town of Brookhaven.

His time in local government spans many years and like his professional career centers around real estate. He first served on the public safety advisory board and then went on to the planning board where he was chairman for eight years. In 2010 Burke was elected to the village board of trustees. While there, he served as what he said was an “informal liaison” between the Master Planning committee and the village board. He is also on the board of St. Charles Hospital in Port Jefferson.

Though the conflict made him step down from the board, Burke says he’d like to stay involved with the community.

"I’d like to stay on," he said. "Not in a formal capacity but to help volunteer."

He wants to lend his experience in land use and zoning and help continue working with the planning of uptown Port Jefferson, which he said he’s enjoyed.

"I’m sorry I couldn’t finish out the term," said Burke. "I’ve enjoyed working with such a dedicated group of people. I have a lot of admiration for everyone who volunteers for the village."

According to village law the mayor appoints a replacement for the vacant trustee seat.

Garant said that she doesn’t have a short list of candidates yet and has no time frame to replace Burke.

"I’m looking for the right person," she said. "Someone with commitment, vision and passion."