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Sag Harbor Mayor Refuses to Resign as Board Cites Financial Misconduct and Instagram Backlash
Village trustees censure mayor, citing unauthorized salary increases and what trustees described as a “crisis of accountability”
Tom Gardella is refusing to step down as mayor of Sag Harbor amid mounting pressure from village trustees, who have cited not only a controversial social media comment but also concerns over financial and administrative conduct.
The backlash began in March, when Gardella posted a comment from his personal Instagram account on a video of Texas resident Rebecca Chavez and her wife dancing to Just Another Day.
“What’s that thing in the background? A guy. A girl? Some creature?” he wrote, prompting criticism from residents and sparking an internal ethics investigation.
But the controversy has since widened.
Social Media Controversy Sparks Investigation
According to the The East Hampton Star, the Sag Harbor Village Board formally censured Gardella and called for his resignation on Tuesday, April 14 at a Sag Harbor Village Trustees Board Meeting, citing what trustees described as a “crisis of accountability and administrative stability.”
Board members allege the mayor proposed undisclosed salary increases for village employees without board approval, totaling roughly $250,000 with projected long-term tax implications for residents.
Trustees also said Gardella ignored guidance from senior staff to bring the raises to the full board for review, raising concerns about transparency and fiduciary oversight.
Board Cites Financial Misconduct and Leadership Concerns
In addition, the board cited what it described as “statutory neglect and breach of fiduciary duty” related to the handling of those proposed increases.
The fallout has extended beyond policy disputes. The village clerk of 16 years resigned, with board members attributing the departure to what they described as an untenable professional environment tied to the mayor’s leadership.
A separate ethics investigation into Gardella’s social media activity found he violated the village’s anti-harassment policy, according to findings reviewed by the board.
A Defiant Mayor
Despite the mounting criticism, Gardella remains defiant.
“I will not resign from the office of mayor,” he said during a recent board meeting, according to the Sag Harbor Express. “I’m not the guy that runs from a crisis.”
Because Gardella is an elected official, the board cannot remove him from office but can formally censure him and call for his resignation.
The next Sag Harbor Village Board of Trustees meeting is scheduled for April 14 at 6 p.m., where the issue could return to the public agenda as tensions between the mayor and trustees continue to escalate.