News

LIVILL21

Polls closed at 9 p.m. on revotes of budgets for four school districts: Locust Valley, Oyster Bay-East Norwich, Seaford and Westbury. 
Here’s what the schools proposed, and the results: 
Locust Valley, $73,776,262 budget; 5.78 percent&nbsp;tax levy increase Result: PASSED 1,494 to 1,304 
Oyster Bay-East Norwich, $50,182,037 budget; 4.34 percent&nbsp;tax levy increase Result: PASSED 1,182 to 1,034 
Seaford, $54,920,057 budget; 8.35&nbsp;percent&nbsp;tax levy increase Result: REJECTED 1,479 to 1,278 
Westbury, $109,014,480 budget; 3.17 percent&nbsp;tax levy increase Result: REJECTED&nbsp;630 to 567 
Read more about the revotes <a href="http://www.newsday.com/4-li-district-face-revotes-tuesday-1.2974668">here</a>.

School budget revotes: 2 pass, 2 fail

School budget revotes results

liBUDGhs

School budget revotes produced a split Tuesday night, with spending plans narrowly approved in the <a href="/topics/Locust_Valley%2C_NY">Locust Valley</a> and <a href="/topics/Oyster_Bay%2C_NY">Oyster Bay</a>-<a href="/topics/East_Norwich%2C_NY">East Norwich</a> districts, but rejected in Seaford and Westbury.
For the winners, the results provided apparent confirmation that more parents and other school supporters turned out the second time around to prevent another rejection. For the losers, the result means going to a contingency, or "austerity," budget.
"I can tell you, I'm very happy it passed," said Keith Kowalsky, an outgoing <a href="/topics/Oyster_Bay%2C_NY">Oyster Bay</a> school board member. "We need to keep our schools strong."
But in Seaford, where voters turned down the budget, 1,479 to 1,278, school officials had faced an uphill struggle. Even after reductions, the district's revised budget would have meant a tax hike of 8.35 percent -- the highest increase in any <a href="/topics/Nassau_County%2C_NY">Nassau</a> County district. Last night's rejection means the district tax increase will be 8.12 percent.
Seaford authorities said they tried to contain costs as much as they could, but a $1.5 million cut in state aid and a lack of reserve funds forced taxes up beyond what local voters were willing to accept.
"There were some things just beyond our control," said Brian Conboy, the district superintendent.
Earlier in the day at local polls, many parents and others voiced disappointment and surprise that their districts were among the few where initial budgets were rejected last month. Islandwide, more than 95 percent of districts approved budgets on May 17, continuing a series of election-night successes that have weathered three consecutive years of economic turmoil.
Only one district, tiny Fishers Island, went straight to a contingency budget rather than schedule a revote.
"I would feel so sad if they took away one teacher from our schools," said one <a href="/topics/Oyster_Bay%2C_NY">Oyster Bay</a> voter, Gabriella Anastasakis, the mother of two elementary students. She arrived at the district's high school wearing a "Your Vote Matters" sticker on her shirt.
The Oyster Bay-<a href="/topics/East_Norwich%2C_NY">East Norwich</a> budget of $50.18 million -- down $475,627 from the original plan -- will raise spending 2.96 percent and property-tax collections 4.34 percent. The budget passed 1,182 to 1,034.
Before last night's vote, Seaford officials had said that a second defeat would result in loss of winter and spring middle school sports. The district already had cut 25 full-time and part-time positions, including 10 teaching slots, along with summer remedial classes and some seventh-grade sports.
Westbury officials, meanwhile, had said that under contingency the district would have to charge fees to community groups for use of school facilities. The district already had eliminated six staff positions through retirements.
Under state contingency rules, districts also are barred from buying new equipment, such as computers.
While rising taxes were an Islandwide issue this year, some school elections seemed swayed more by issues that were largely local. Case in point: the $200,000-plus annual salaries that have become the norm for district superintendents.
In Westbury, many voters carried a flier distributed by Larry Wornum, a former school board member who lost his bid for re-election last year. The flier criticized a recent request for a raise by the district's longtime superintendent, Constance Clark, noting that Clark's current listed base salary of $300,632 is more than the governor earns. (Gov. <a href="/topics/Andrew_Cuomo">Andrew M. Cuomo</a> earns $179,000.) 
"I find that galling," said Wornum, who urged voters to say "no" to the budget again.
Tuesday night, Clark clarified her position, saying she would seek no raise in the coming school year and a 3 percent hike in 2012-13.
Westbury's revised $109-million spending plan -- down $692,624 from the original budget -- would have raised spending 3.53 percent and the property-tax levy 3.17 percent. The budget plan was defeated 630 to 567.
In <a href="/topics/Locust_Valley%2C_NY">Locust Valley</a>, parents' groups had campaigned to get more supporters to the polls. The district had warned that a second budget rejection would result in elimination of more than a dozen programs, including elementary foreign-language lessons and high school driver's education.
In an email, the <a href="/topics/Locust_Valley%2C_NY">Locust Valley</a> <a href="/topics/Bayville%2C_NY">Bayville</a> Soccer Club advised parents that a contingency budget would require the group to pay fees for use of school fields. "It could double the cost of youth sports," the message said.
Locust Valley's revised $73.7-million budget, down $144,800 from the initial plan, raises spending 2.7 percent and taxes 5.78 percent. The budget passed 1,494 to 1,304.

LISKUL22

Seaford, Westbury budgets fail

Wanted: One village trustee. In Bellport, there have been no takers.
The manicured village of 2,300 residents on <a href="/topics/Suffolk_County%2C_NY">Suffolk</a>'s South Shore holds its annual election in two weeks, and no one signed up to run for a soon-to-be vacant seat, officials said.
There is a paucity of candidates for public office throughout Bellport, with only one person seeking the mayoral post and a lone incumbent in the race for two seats on the five-member board of trustees.
Mayor David Pate said a divide between himself and three sitting trustees -- James Vaughan, Alison Neumann and Dorothy Terwilliger -- is at least partly to blame for making public service appear less attractive in Bellport. Pate is not seeking re-election after taking office in July 2008.
"People have seen the viciousness and nastiness . . . They are asking, 'Why would I want to go through what I have witnessed the mayor of the village of Bellport go through?' " he said.
Pate said Vaughan, Neumann and Terwilliger are more concerned about the interests of residents who live in the less-affluent part of Bellport north of South Country Road. He accused them of not "looking out for the entire village."
Vaughan, who is seeking re-election, called the assertion "flat-out rude." He added that he represents "the wishes and values of the majority of the residents."
Neumann said Pate should "look in the mirror first" and that the "divide is made up of him." Terwilliger said "the village will go on" and accused Pate of failing to communicate with the three trustees.
Village officials are bracing for write-in candidates to play a role in the June 21 election. This year's vote will be the first in at least a quarter-century in which a seat has gone uncontested, said Scott Augustine, who has served as village clerk and village attorney during that time. A special election would be needed if there are no write-ins, he said. 
"We're getting calls from people inquiring and you hear gossip, but I haven't seen anyone put a sign on a yard yet," Augustine said.
The trustee seat that will become vacant currently belongs to Scott A. Horsley, who is not seeking re-election. He said he wants to dedicate more time to his wife and his legal practice. Horsley said he's "disappointed" by the lack of candidates. He declined to address Pate's statements about a political divide in Bellport.
Pate, a research engineer at <a href="/topics/Brookhaven%2C_NY">Brookhaven</a> National Laboratory, said he's not running again because of work commitments and a desire to spend more time with family.
The candidate for mayor is William Veitch, a newcomer to village politics and vice president of sales for Kingsdown mattress company. He said his decision to run "is based on my desire to see the village run in a more civilized, efficient way."

Long Island

Suffolk

TOBELL06

No takers for Bellport trustee job, so far

In the Village of Brightwaters, four candidates from opposing local parties are vying for two open seats on the board of trustees. 
The Citizens Party, which has governed the village for more than 30 years and currently controls four seats on the five-member board, has nominated incumbent <a href="/topics/Robert_Fischer_%28politician%29">Robert Fischer</a>, 51, an electrical engineer, and challenger Tim Cox, 51, the dean of students at <a href="/topics/Bay_Shore%2C_NY">Bay Shore</a> High School. 
The Common Good Party, which formed in 2008 and holds one seat on the board, has picked incumbent John Valdini, 53, who owns a construction company, and challenger Patrick Fawcett, 45, who owns a retail pharmacy business. Each seat carries a term of two years.
How the village spends money and its plans for the future, as well as whether trustees should get health benefits, are the issues at the heart of Tuesday's election.
Members of the Citizens Party, which include Brightwaters Mayor Joseph McNulty, say they believe in the "pay as you go" system that has led to flat taxes for the last 12 years. 
"The fact that we haven't raised taxes and we haven't cut services is a big issue," said Fischer, who has been on the board for five years. "I've come to the conclusion that our little village is as efficient as a government can be."
Fischer, who volunteered on the village planning board for 20 years before being elected to office, said he is running again because of his concern for the long-term health of the village and wants to continue to maintain the village as his party has done. 
"Anybody can raise taxes. Working within our means is the hard part," he said. 
Cox, whose father, Robert Cox, served as Brightwaters' mayor before McNulty, agrees. After serving as co-director of the village's summer day camp for 12 years, Cox said he decided to run to preserve the village's traditions and to "hold the line on taxes."
He is also concerned with updating the village's website. "It's important to really communicate with constituents and have them feel like they are part of what's going on," he said.
Members of the Common Good Party, such as Valdini, who has been on the board for two years, say the village needs to cut wasteful spending and create an infrastructure fund with dollars set aside for maintenance of roads and parks. The plan is opposed by the Citizens Party.
"If we have a set plan, we won't waste taxpayers' money," Valdini said. 
He also wants to revamp the village's budget by reviewing all revenues and expenditures and would like to see more investment in downtown Brightwaters, he said.
Valdini added that he wants to bring more transparency to the board. "I think it's time to look at the budget and make it so that it's a document all the residents can read and understand," he said. 
Fawcett, too, believes in a reserve fund and said part of the money could come from eliminating health benefits for board members. "I would want to put up a referendum on trustee health benefits," said Fawcett. "I don't think a volunteer position should get any type of benefit." 
Members of the Citizens Party have said the health benefits, approved by the board in 1996, are a fair reward to board members for their volunteer work.
Fawcett added that he would be against raising taxes and would encourage local fundraisers and the use of volunteers to help maintain the village's needs.
Voting is Tuesday from noon to 9 p.m. at Village Hall, 40 Seneca Dr.

LFTISLI19

Spending key in Brightwaters election

All of the incumbents up for re-election on the Lloyd Harbor Village board are being challenged in this week's contest.
But Mayor Leland Hairr, who is running on the Quality of Life ticket with incumbent trustees Jean M. Thatcher, Leland Deane and Hilary P. Rolih, says there is no need to change anything. In fact, their campaign slogan is "Maintain the Momentum." 
"We think we've had a lot of accomplishments," said Hairr, who is seeking his fourth term. "So we hope to be re-elected to keep the momentum going forward."
Hairr touts the party's experience, fiscal management and ongoing capital improvement projects such as the reconstruction of West Neck Road/Lloyd Harbor Road, the major thoroughfare in the village of about 3,700 residents. In campaign literature and in an interview, Hairr points out that he and the six trustees on the board have obtained federal, state and county grants for the village's highway and police departments and for stormwater management. He also highlighted the current administration's efforts on park improvements, the renovation of Village Hall, deer culling and code revisions that control the "McMansion" effect.
"Everyone who is a trustee has been involved with village government prior to becoming a trustee," said Hairr, 69, who runs an environmental consulting firm. "We've tried to move up to trustee positions people who understand our village government, know our village and are intent on trying to preserve the quality of the village."
But George Schwertl, 46, the challenger for Hairr's position who is making his first run for office on the Lloyd Harbor Families Party line, said that in speaking with some residents in recent months he found they didn't realize Lloyd Harbor has a mayor.
"They didn't know about the mayor, they didn't know about the boards," said Schwertl, a resident of the village for four years. "I've gone to some of the meetings and no one shows up. Our goal would be to get more residents involved."
Thatcher, who is deputy mayor and seeking her fourth term, said that the board makes every effort to reach out.
"When anybody new moves into the area, we welcome them with a package with a guidebook of the area" and information about Lloyd Harbor's government, Thatcher said. "We advertise all positions, we have a newsletter that comes out approximately every six weeks with announcements, events, interesting history. I think that says more about them than what we do." 
Thatcher, 62, is chief operating officer of a malpractice insurer. Deane, 59, is a plastic surgeon, and Rolih, 52, is the principal of four healthcare-related firms.
Running with Schwertl are Sandra Bianco, Kieran McGowan and Danielle Sulger. Bianco, 44, is a stay-at-home mom; McGowan, 44, is an executive with an insurance company; and Sulger, 40, is a business owner.
Schwertl said his team would like the board to be more visible, responsive and reachable through an updated village website and especially via email.
"The biggest concern is the lack of communication with the residents," said Schwertl, an automotive industry manager and married father of eight. "People should know there is a mayor that you can reach out to and discuss issues with. And that's what I will do."
Schwertl said he and his campaign mates will also work to make sure that there is no commercial development, that new buildings retain the character of the neighborhood and that the village is kept crime-free. A top priority will be to work to get more utility lines underground for aesthetics, safety and dependability, he said.
Both the mayor and trustee seats are for four years. Voting is Tuesday from noon to 9 p.m. at Village Hall, 32 Middle Hollow Rd.

LFTHUNT19

Challenge from new slate in Lloyd Harbor

Two incumbent trustees in North Haven face a challenger in this year's election, an uncommon occurrence in the quiet seaside village.
<a href="/topics/Lawrence%2C_NY">Lawrence</a> LaRose, a five-year resident of the village, is trying to unseat either Jeffrey Sander or Russell "Jim" Smyth Jr. The two highest vote-getters on the ballot win the seats.
LaRose, 47, a freelance writer who is making his first try for public office, said he was urged to run by many residents after he learned of legislation regarding the installation of a 40-foot <a href="/topics/Cellular_Phones">cellphone</a> tower near the nature preserve and village hall. In asking his neighbors and others he ran into in the village about the tower, he was shocked, he said, to find that almost no one knew about it.
 
Communication criticized
He said he and other residents attended village meetings to speak against it. 
The village has now placed a moratorium on cellphone towers and antenna installations and will repeal the laws that were put in place to start addressing the topic, said Smyth.
"The board was rushing ahead before they communicated effectively the issues," said LaRose, adding that the village could look at other types of communication antennas, such as distributed antenna systems, or DAS, which are a series of smaller antennas that are less intrusive visually. "They didn't do any homework on it."
But Smyth, 60, said many towns and villages have sought out cell antennas to get better reception for their residents -- which is a problem in the village, he said -- and to bring money into the villages' coffers. The cell towers and antennas are privately owned by communication companies that pay to use the land.
"So we heard what the people have said, and we voted to repeal it," said Smyth, a 10-year trustee and lifelong resident who owns the tavern The Corner Bar in <a href="/topics/Sag_Harbor%2C_NY">Sag Harbor</a>.
North Haven, an incorporated village adjacent to Sag Harbor with a little more than 1,000 residents, does not have its own police department and has a one-man highway department. It has only one commercial business, a marine repair shop.
 
Incumbents' records
As a four-year trustee, Jeffrey Sander said that he and other trustees have accomplished quite a lot with a cohesive board. 
"We have maintained a constant low tax rate for my entire tenure even with shrinking revenues from nontax sources of income such as mortgage taxes, building permits and other permits," said Sander, 69, who grew up summering in Sag Harbor and moved to North Haven permanently in 1999.
He also noted that the village board has purchased a "significant amount" of land to be preserved and has passed building codes that reduce building sizes for newly constructed homes.
Also, the board has reduced the deer population by allowing bow hunting in restricted areas during limited times, Sander said in an email, resulting in a reduction in the deer herd in the village.
LaRose said he wants the village to look into birth control methods for the deer as well, something with which other municipalities have been experimenting.
North Haven village is about 2 square miles and has an average household income of $111,250, according to the U.S. Census.
Voting will be held Tuesday from noon to 9 p.m. at village hall, 335 Ferry Rd., Sag Harbor.

LFTEAST19

Resident challenges 2 North Haven trustees

In <a href="/topics/North_Hills%2C_NY">North Hills</a>, where three candidates are vying for two trustee seats, a whopping $37-million village fund has become a campaign issue.
Newcomer Roberta Popper said the administration has "been sitting on it for quite a while. This is a village with a huge, huge amount of money and nothing's happening."
But the two trustees seeking re-election say they are, in fact, pursuing projects -- commuter parking and a golf course -- that would be paid for with the funds. The village collected the money under its "incentive zoning" law from developers in exchange for building projects with density higher than allowed by code.
Popper, 69, is an alternate member of the village's zoning board of appeals and serves on her condominium board. An adjunct professor at <a href="/topics/Nassau_Community_College">Nassau Community College</a>, she is making her first run for office on the Progress party line.
If elected, Popper said, she would use the incentive zoning funds to improve transportation for residents. For instance, she said, a bus service could serve commuters, child care workers and health aides as well as the elderly.
The incumbent mayor, Marvin Natiss, is running unopposed for re-election. Running with him on the Homeowners party line are incumbents Dennis Sgambati, the deputy mayor, and Gerry Cohen.
Cohen, 66, was appointed by the mayor in August to serve the remainder of a vacant term. He owns a self-storage facility and has served on several co-op and homeowner association boards.
Sgambati, 62, previously a trustee from 1992 to 1997, was appointed deputy mayor by Natiss after winning a term in 2003. He was re-elected in an uncontested race in 2007. He is a city contractor specializing in drywall taping and finishing.
Sgambati and Cohen said the administration is seeking to put some of the $37 million toward providing parking for village residents at the <a href="/topics/Long_Island_Rail_Road">Long Island Rail Road</a> station in <a href="/topics/Manhasset%2C_NY">Manhasset</a>.
Sgambati said they are "looking at several buildings within a half-block of the <a href="/topics/LIRR">LIRR</a> in an attempt to change the buildings into a parking facility for the residents of North Hills."
They said the village was also pursuing various options for a golf course. Cohen said they wanted "to try to locate a golf course that we could purchase for the village."
In response, Popper said that the parking and golf course ideas have been discussed for years and "are dependent on an outside entity or source granting permission."
But Cohen said it was important for the village to do its homework. "There is no timeline to spend this money -- we're not looking to waste money."
The terms of the trustee seats are four years.
Voting is Tuesday from noon to 9 p.m. at Village Hall, 1 Shelter Rock Rd.
 
Sands Point
Sands Point incumbents have a lone challenger in this year's village elections, and he says he's fed up with what he calls an out-of-control village budget.
"Each year I've seen my taxes go up and up and up," said candidate Barry <a href="/topics/Barry_Miller">Miller</a>, who has lived in the village for four years. "Finally I said, 'Enough is enough.' "
Miller, 41, the head of private equity for the New York City comptroller's office, is challenging incumbents Katharine Ullman and Marc Silbert in a contest for two trustee seats. The terms are for two years.
In a village that saw a 9.1 percent property tax increase last year, Miller is not advocating for tax cuts, he said, but for cutting costs and getting the budget under control.
Ullman, 71, who has lived in the village for most of the last 60 years, said the tax increase was due to projects that could not be put off, including road repairs and a new well. "I don't think any of it was optional," she said.
Additionally, the assessed property value in the village went down, she said, so some of the property tax increase was necessary to make up for that.
Silbert, 60, also defended the tax increase, saying the board's job is to maintain the quality of life and ambience of the village. 
"Sometimes that gets expensive," said Silbert, who's been on the board for 10 years.
During his tenure, Silbert has served as building commissioner and led the planning of a $30,000 solar-panel project at Village Hall. The village got about half its money back in rebates, he said. "It's saving money and saving the planet at the same time," Silbert said.
In her 17 years on the board, Ullman said she has overseen road improvements. "It's very costly," she said, "but people don't want to live where there are potholes or the drainage systems don't work. I think that's what I am most pleased about." 
Edward A.K. Adler, a 20-year veteran of the village board, is running uncontested for mayor. 
Voting is Tuesday from noon to 9 p.m. at Village Hall, 26 Tibbits Lane.
 
Manorhaven
In Manorhaven, four candidates are vying for two trustee positions.
Challengers Gerald Volpe and Vincent Mitchell are running on the Unity party line.
They are going up against two incumbent trustees and lifelong residents: Rita di Lucia and John di Leo Jr., who are on the Light party line. Terms of the positions are two years.
Volpe, 64, a business owner, is in the retail textile industry. "What I'd bring to the table is an expertise in managing," he said, touting his business background.
Volpe said he's heard residents complain that the board isn't responsive and he would seek to "improve communication between the village board and the residents" and address community needs "in a more expeditious manner."
Mitchell, 46, owns an entertainment agency that books performing artists. He serves on the village's board of zoning appeals.
"We have beautiful waterfront here," he said. But citing litter and overgrown grass, Mitchell said, "I'd like to make this village more of a pristine community, working with our village to clean this place up."
Di Lucia, 43, was first elected to the board in 2007. She is the village liaison for the Morgan's Dock project and represents the village on the <a href="/topics/Long_Island%2C_NY">Long Island</a> North Shore Heritage Association.
She is involved with several other community groups and said that gives her rich experience "when it comes to negotiations, judgments and reliability."
Di Leo, 47, who owns a landscaping business, is running for his fifth term. He previously served on the village's zoning board for six years. "I pretty much know the whole workings of the village," he said.
Di Leo said he is seeking another term to continue pushing road work and sewer projects.
Voting is Tuesday from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Village Hall, 33 Manorhaven Blvd., <a href="/topics/Port_Washington%2C_NY">Port Washington</a>.

Nassau

LFTNHEM19

N.Hills, Sands Point, Manorhaven

June 21 village elections

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