Election Guide 2023: Meet the candidates for Town Justice, Receiver of Taxes and Assessor
Town Justice | 4 years, no term limit | SALARY: $88,800
Responsibilities: The Town Justice handles matters within the town consisting of vehicle and traffic violations, penal law offenses, parking violations, town and village code violations, landlord and tenant disputes, civil and small claim actions.
Lori M. Hulse (Unopposed)
Party: Democratic, Republican,
Conservative
Hamlet: Riverhead
Occupation: Riverhead Town Justice
Born and raised in Calverton, Ms. Hulse has served as Riverhead Town Justice since 2016. She is running on the Republican, Democratic and Conservative party lines. Her daily court calendar is one of the busiest on the East End, and she has presided over many pretrial hearings, bench trials and jury trials to verdict. While town and village courts remained closed during the pandemic, Ms. Hulse’s court was the first in the state to resume official functions, holding virtual arraignments, dispositions and conferences.
An attorney for more than 30 years, Ms. Hulse has previously served as a deputy bureau chief in the Kings County District Attorney’s Office and senior trial attorney in the Major Crime Bureau of the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, an assistant town attorney and legal counsel to the Southold Town Board of Trustees and has operated her own private law practice. She served on the Riverhead Board of Education for seven years, four of them as the its president. Ms.Hulse has two adult children and lives in Riverhead with her husband, Mike.
Receiver of Taxes | 4 yearS, NO term LIMIT | SALARY: $88,038
Responsibilities: The Receiver collects all real property taxes levied by the town, county and school districts.
Laurie A. Zaneski (Unopposed)
Party: Republican, Conservative
Hamlet: Aquebogue
Occupation: Receiver of Taxes
Laurie A. Zaneski is running unopposed. She is married to her husband, Kevin, and they have three children. She is the owner of a resort in Lake George called English Brook Cottages.
“It is an honor to serve the residents of the Town of Riverhead.”
Town Assessor | 4 YEARS, NO TERM LIMIT | SALARY: $88,038
Responsibilities: The Town Assessor sets the valuation of all real estate in the township; assesses property when a building permit is issued on improvements and additions: and grants and maintains property tax exemptions for senior citizens, veterans, clergy, agricultural, volunteer firefighter and ambulance workers and nonprofit organizations. This year. two candidates are running for two available seats on the Board of Assessors.
Dana N. Brown
Party: Republican, Conservative
Hamlet: Wading River
Occupation: Town Assessor
Ms. Brown has worked for the assessor’s office since November 2013. She was appointed to fill a vacant assessor seat in April 2021 and was elected in November that same year. From helping taxpayers navigate the exemption process to promoting assessment equity through deed transfers and sales to doing field work, Ms. Brown said she loves performing all the different aspects of her job.
In her words: “Every day is a different adventure and I learn something new each day. I want to continue learning and growing in this position. And as a department, continue to bring the excellent customer service that our staff provides, and maintain our office’s open door policy to our taxpayers.”
Meredith B. Lipinsky
Party: Republican, Conservative
Hamlet: Wading River
Occupation: Town Assessor
Ms. Lipinsky, who was born and raised in Wading River, has served as a Riverhead Town assessor for the past four years. She graduated from Shoreham-Wading River High School in 1997 and the University of Delaware in 2001. She obtained her New York State Assessor Certification after taking office in 2020.
In her words: “The Office of the Assessor is non-policy-making, and it is our responsibility to follow the laws of the State of New York. I am a lifelong Republican and have been endorsed by the Conservatives as well. I am extremely grateful to be unopposed this election cycle, and look forward to continuing my career with the town. As promised, I will continue to do so with fairness, honestly, and integrity. Thank you!”
