Politics & Government

Suozzi Back on the Job

Glen Cove Deputy Mayor ran daily operations while Suozzi vacationed in Florida.

If Tuesday’s meeting was noteworthy, it was because was back running the show. 

The four-term mayor recently took a rare family vacation to Florida, leaving Deputy Mayor Maureen Basdavanos in charge. It was an unremarkable nine days in Glen Cove by all accounts.

And yet Suozzi never put his iPhone down as he toured Disney World, keeping one eye on his New York community even as he put in valuable family time in the Sunshine State. 

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“He was still responding on vacation,” Basdavanos said. “Most people didn’t realize he was away. It was really business as usual in a lot of ways.”

Suozzi missed the April 10 City Council meeting, a rarity. Councilman Nick DiLeo ran the meeting in place of Suozzi.

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“This might have been the fourth one I’ve missed in six-plus years,” Suozzi said.

Basdavanos performed ceremonial duties as well as daily administrative tasks while Suozzi, wife Jane Beckhard-Suozzi and two sons drove South. Thanks to email, Suozzi felt tethered to his office desk. He thumbed through 50 messages a day, he said.

“Technically, I’m not even given vacation days. I don’t get personal days,” Suozzi said of the job. “I’m actually on call 24 hours a day as mayor. When I’m away, it’s very hard to detach yourself from the day-to-day operations.”

But his wife ultimately weighed in. Jane Beckhard-Suozzi confiscated his phone for a few hours.

“We’re at the Magic Kingdom!” she said.

Suozzi has his phone back and Glen Cove has its mayor once again.


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