The cash flowed for Jerry Larsen in 2019. The Newtown Party, which Mr. Larsen set up as the fund-raising arm of his bid for East Hampton Village mayor, took in just over $43,000 last year, according to his filings with the New York State Board of Elections.
Mr. Larsen’s supporters include people who have tangled with the current administration over zoning issues and agitated for change in a village that has not seen a contested mayoral election since 1996, when the advertising executive Jerry Della Femina challenged Paul F. Rickenbach Jr.
Mr. Larsen is a former East Hampton Village police chief who has worked as the head of security for the financier Ronald Perelman at his Georgica Pond property, the Creeks. He will be joined on the Newtown Party line by Sandra Melendez, a bilingual attorney with an office on Pantigo Road in East Hampton.
They will be competing in the June 16 election against Barbara Borsack, the current deputy mayor, and her running mates on the Elms Party line, Richard Lawler and Ray Harden. Mr. Lawler was appointed mayor earlier two weeks ago to fill out the six months remaining in Mr. Rickenbach’s term, following Mr. Rickenbach’s resignation at the end of last year. Mr. Harden, an owner of the Ben Krupinski building company, is a member of the village’s zoning board of appeals and licensing review board.
The Elms Party, unlike the Newtown Party, which registered with the state board of elections, followed tradition and filed its paperwork with East Hampton Village. Because of different rules, the Elms financial reports are not due until May 15. According to Ms. Borsack, the Elms Party has raised $31,120 to date and has a balance in the bank of $25,024. Combined, the two parties’ war chests will be the largest to date for an East Hampton Village election.
Mr. Larsen’s party has also been on
a spending spree, paying out about $25,000 for campaign handouts, video production, and fund-raisers.
Among the Newtown Party’s biggest donors is Stefan Soloviev of Lily Pond Lane and some of his family and associates, who collectively contributed $6,000, the maximum per person, some using Mr. Soloviev’s Manhattan business address.
Mr. Soloviev is a son of the billionaire developer Sheldon Solow, and took on his family’s Russian name as it was before it was Anglicized by United States authorities. According to Bloomberg, he is among the largest landowners in the United States, having amassed more than 325,000 grain and cattle ranch acres in Colorado, Kansas, and New Mexico. Mr. Soloviev has an oceanfront property near Georgica Beach.
Shahab and Elizabeth Karmely each contributed $1,000. The couple owns the former Robert D.L. Gardiner property on Main Street. Mr. Karmely had tangled with the village and a neighbor for several years about a tennis court he wanted to build.
Leonard Ackerman, a lawyer who has represented several property owners whose construction plans ran up against village regulations, also donated the maximum. Mr. Larsen’s employer, Ronald Perelman, is among the people Mr. Ackerman has represented.
In 2018, Mr. Ackerman was leading a group representing Mr. Perelman in negotiations with village officials over buildings that had been constructed or expanded on the nearly 58-acre property without permits and in violation of wetland setbacks. Among the conditions that Mr. Perelman and the village agreed on was that more than three acres of clearing would be replanted with native vegetation as a buffer for Georgica Pond.
He was able to keep a 5,802-square-foot multipurpose structure containing cooking and living facilities, provided it have no more than three bedrooms, and a 426-square-foot addition to a carriage house. Mr. Perelman was granted variances to legalize the expansion of a small synagogue on the property with three rooms plus two powder rooms. The zoning board also granted variances to legalize six artworks and sculptures and a chicken coop. Mr. Perleman’s 2019 East Hampton tax bill for the Creeks’ several parcels was about $87,000. He owns a property on Lily Pond Lane, which was assessed $120,000 in taxes last year, together making Mr. Perelman among the village and town’s highest property-tax payers.
Mr. Ackerman has also been outspoken about restrictions on inns in the village that are designed to limit the number of wedding and other outdoor events they can hold each year. He has proposed a new zoning classification that would allow hotels in residential districts to add amenities, including spas, gyms, beauty services, and children’s play areas and to allow music and dancing. He has counted the former Starbucks cheif executive officer and former presidential candidate Howard Schultz among his clients as well.
Marc Spilker and his wife, Diane, each contributed $1,000 to the Larsen-Melendez campaign. He is a former Goldman Sachs executive and a founding member of GPS Investment Partners with property on Further Lane.
Kevin and Dorie Berliner of Hither Lane each gave the Newtown Party $1,000. Mr. Berliner was made chairman of the Parrish Art Museum board in September.
At lower amounts, former East Hampton Town Councilwoman Diana Weir and Don Cirillo, a former East Hampton Republican Committee treasurer, each gave to the Newtown campaign. Terry Wallace, who runs an art gallery in the village, contributed as well. In an earlier filing, the Newtown Party reported Jeff Gagliotti of Amagansett and Bruce Mosler of Buckskill Road in East Hampton Village as $1,000 donors. Bistrian Materials gave $1,000 and Bistrian Cement Corporation, $500. Tracey Hedges Waleko of Wainscott gave $1,000. David Bulgin, a Southampton builder with several high-profile East Hampton clients, gave $250.
Two village police officers who served under Mr. Larsen when he was department chief, Matthew Bennett and Jeffrey Erickson, also made contributions to the campaign fund, of $500 and $200 respectively. John McGuirk, a member of the village zoning board, gave $250.
Both Tutto il Giorno locations, Southampton and Sag Harbor, were listed as $1,000 contributors. Gabby Karan de Felice, the restaurants’ founder, hosted a Manhattan gathering for Mr. Larsen’s bid for mayor in December. Her mother is the fashion designer Donna Karan, who has a house in the Northwest Woods section of East Hampton Town. Gianpaolo de Felice, her husband, gave $1,000.
Dan Ujvari of Cooper Lane in East Hampton Village also gave the maximum. Mr. Ujvari and his wife, Yvonne, learned late last year that a massive PSEG utility pole is to be installed directly in front of their house.
Ms. Borsack, Mr. Lawler, and Mr. Harden announced their candidacies last May. The cookbook author and television personality Ina Garten held a cocktail party fund-raiser for Ms. Borsack and her running mates in June. Mr. Larsen made his announcement in April.
