"We're a laughingstock," said Gordon Weiss, the town's deputy supervisor.

The board will solicit bids this spring from brokers regardless of political affiliation, said Jack Schnirman, the deputy supervisor.

"A moratorium will allow us to step back and look at all these things," said John Romanelli, the town's deputy supervisor.

Steve Levine, the town's deputy supervisor, agrees.

The supervisor employs deputy supervisors.

"Obviously this was too much money," said the deputy supervisor, Becky Kittredge, referring to the proposal voted down Tuesday.

He was reelected in 1967, and served as both police commissioner and deputy supervisor for his hometown.

She promoted a computer specialist, whom she'd met in her condominium building, to deputy supervisor.

Previously, I spent seven years as deputy supervisor, helping build Islip into one of the country's most respected local governments.

In 1996, Mr. Petrone promoted him to deputy supervisor.