Ray Pickersgill, owner of Robert James Salon, was elected president of the downtown Riverhead Business Improvement District management association at a special meeting of that board Monday evening, but former member Vince Tria, who still maintains that he is president, didn't attend.
"It wasn't a legal meeting," Mr. Tria said afterward. "Why should I attend?"
The meeting was called after three members of the BID management association board of directors, including Mr. Tria, were dismissed by the Riverhead Town Board. Mr. Tria, who owns the downtown Riverhead-based WRIV radio, which airs on 1390 AM, has since filed a notice of claim with the town, which allows him to file a lawsuit later, for $10 million.
He has maintained that the Town Board cannot remove him because he was elected president by the other BID members.
The downtown BID is a taxing district that uses money collected from area business owners to fund events and other promotions to attract shoppers to the district.
See the March 18 edition of the News-Review for more coverage.