Newburgh supervisor removes Carolan, recognizes Ruggiero in disputed council seat

Supervisor Gil Piaquadio has moved the Town of Newburgh’s bitter council-seat fight from the courtroom into town hall. On April 29, he notified Mary Lou Carolan that he was recognizing Paul Ruggiero as the duly elected councilmember and removing Carolan from office, a step that immediately changed who the town is treating as the holder of the disputed seat.

The move followed the Orange County Board of Elections’ April 14 certification of Ruggiero as the winner by one vote over Carolan. In the November count, Mary McLymore led the race with 3,292 votes, Carolan had 3,226 and Ruggiero had 3,224 before the recount and court review changed the outcome. Ruggiero’s side challenged at least 22 additional ballots beyond the 10 ballots that were ruled invalid in the recount.

Carolan’s attorney, Michael Treybich, said he planned to challenge Piaquadio’s action, including by filing an Article 78 case in Orange County Supreme Court. The next major court date is May 8, when Carolan’s appeal is scheduled to be heard by the Appellate Division, Second Department. Piaquadio has said the town must follow the existing order unless a stay is issued or the appellate court reverses course, putting the supervisor in the middle of the legal and political struggle over who can sit and vote.

The stakes are larger than one seat. The Town of Newburgh board has five members elected at large, so control of a single council chair can affect votes, authority and the legitimacy of town decisions. That matters in a town of about 32,000 people where public confidence is already strained by a separate election-law fight.

In March 2024, six Newburgh residents filed a lawsuit under the New York State Voting Rights Act challenging the town’s at-large system, arguing that it diluted the voting strength of Black and Hispanic residents. That case was settled in 2026, with the town agreeing to move toward ranked-choice voting for town board elections. With the board now split over who lawfully holds this seat, Newburgh’s election rules, and the way its government functions day to day, remain under a sharper spotlight.