Village clerk Lou DiDomenico, who has worked for the Village of Mineola for over 28 years, has decided he will leave the village and accept a job as the village clerk/treasurer in the Village of Kings Point.

DiDomenico said it was the right time to leave the village and emphasized that his decision to leave has nothing to do with the change in the village administration and a new mayor.

"I've been looking for a while and I'm leaving because I need the change," said DiDomenico. "This is a pretty demanding position. I know timing isn't right maybe, but I need to make the change. I think you just know when it's time to go. I've been here a long time. I've seen a lot. I've experienced a lot and I feel I've made a difference."

One of the reasons for his departure has to do with health. He missed some time during his tenure as village clerk because of health reasons. In King Point, he will most likely be entering a less stressful environment.

"I'm looking for a new challenge on a smaller level," he said.

DiDomenico's last day will be May 14 so the mayor and the board will have some time to replace him. DiDomenico will be cutting his ties to the village he worked for and went to school in.

He is a 1974 graduate of Mineola High School. In the 1974 Mineola High School yearbook, DiDomenico said he wanted to pursue a career as a village administrator. That career goal was fulfilled in Mineola where he worked his way up from laborer to village clerk. "I will miss the village. It was not an easy decision for me," he said. "My heart is here but I don't want my emotions to make my decisions anymore because it affects my health."

The soon-to-be former village clerk reiterated that he is not leaving because of a new mayor. "I don't want people to think that I'm leaving because of the new administration or even the old administration. I was leaving no matter who got here," DiDomenico said. "I just wanted to make it through the election, which I thought was the fair thing to do and I wanted to give the new administration an opportunity to get settled."

DiDomenico started working in the Village of Mineola in the summer of 1974 as a laborer in the parks department. After that, he worked in the highway department. He was then brought to the department of public works internally in an administrative position. In 1987, he became assistant superintendent of public works and then in 1990, he was made superintendent of public works. On May 1, 2000, he was appointed to the position of village clerk. "I've done a lot of things over the past 28 years," he said.

DiDomenico said he would like to thank all the mayors and trustees he has ever worked for. Mayor Martins is the sixth mayor DiDomenico has worked for since he started when Stanley Krauss was mayor. He would also like to thank all the volunteer organizations, village employees and village residents.

The responsibility now falls on Mayor Jack M. Martins to appoint the village clerk. DiDomenico said he would be willing to assist the new administration in any way he could in the transition.

Under Mayor Martins, DiDomenico would have remained village clerk if he decided to stay. The mayor said the administration did not request he make a change. "We're sorry to see him go," the mayor said. "It was [a decision] he made from a standpoint of what he felt was best for himself and his family. I applaud him for it. I'm not happy to see him go by any stretch. He's going to be sorely missed. He was an integral part of the day to day operations in the village. He is going to be a very hard person for us to replace."

Mayor Martins said the village would not exclude anyone from the search and would hire the person who is best qualified to fill the position. "It's a very important position in the village and I think it's incumbent upon us to find the very best person we can who will be able to provide the best services to the residents of our village so we're not going to exclude anyone within or without," he said.

The mayor has said that he prefers to hire employees who are residents of the village but that would not be the sole determining factor.

Research assistant Walter Moloughney and Deputy Village Clerk Teri Ranfone have not been reappointed to their position thus ending their employment with the village. Mayor Martins said the village would begin interviewing for clerk and deputy clerk. The position of research assistant may or may not be filled but will not be funded to the level it had been.