The Incorporated Village of Lynbrook, New York, will be holding its annual village elections in what is expected to be a one of the most highly contested elections in recent memory on March 19.

The New Vision Party, whose primary goal is to increase the village’s tax base, seeks to have current mayor Alan Beach reelected, along with party members Ann Marie Reardon and Robert Boccio in the position of village trustees. The party believes that by supporting development in Lynbrook, especially in the downtown area, as well as improving the public safety departments and services, they can improve the quality of life in Lynbrook. Boccio explained, “I believe that we must continually support smart development opportunities that are in keeping with the character of our village and geared toward revitalizing our downtown so that we may address the growing tax burden of residents and allow our children the opportunity to live in this great community, should they choose to do so.” Reardon added that their plans include “continuing improvement to our parks and beautification of our village.” Reardon also emphasized the safety of residents, citing the “[importance of continuing] to support our police department and fire departments to maintain our village as being one of the safest places to live, work, and raise a family.”

Beach has been a member of the village board for twelve years; he served as a trustee for four years before being appointed to deputy mayor, a position which he held for six years. He has served as the mayor for the past two years, having been appointed after the passing of previous Mayor William Hendrick. Beach feels that the village is on a path to success, and he wants to continue to contribute towards making the village the best it can be. “The village is moving in the right direction,” commented Beach. “We are holding the line on taxes, improving our roads, beautifying our parks, improving our recreation programs, and keeping our village clean. My vision is to continue to make Lynbrook a place for our residents to be proud of.” Beach values the village residents and the tight knit bonds they have formed: “My favorite thing about serving Lynbrook is the residents of this Village. They are kind and always interested to come to the aid of a neighbor…Being together as a community, whether at a sporting event, at the Village pool or at of our many holiday events, keeps a small-town feel, which is one of the many things I cherish.”

Reardon was appointed to the position of trustee in June 2015 and elected in March 2016. She believes that she, along with the board, has only begun to realize the vision they have for improving the village, and she hopes to continue making those plans come to life. She also believes that the best interest of Lynbrook has always been her priority in her time on the board. She said, “It would be an honor to continue serving the residents of Lynbrook with hard work and integrity. Having the opportunity to contribute to the success of the village while meeting some of the best people who I am proud to call my neighbors and friends is probably the most rewarding. I am so thankful to Lynbrook for this opportunity.”

Boccio was appointed in December 2017 and elected to serve a one-year term as a trustee in March 2018. He held several administrative positions in New York City government, and he worked in Lynbrook as assistant village prosecutor, member and chairman of the Board of Zoning Appeals, and the Chairman of the Ethics Committee. He feels that this resume, along with already having one year of experience as a trustee, makes him well-qualified for the position. Boccio too is driven by his ties to the town as a resident and appreciates Lynbrook’s sense of community, and thinks it is easily understood why so many generations of people decide to live here; “We loved all of the wonderful family-friendly events that Lynbrook had to offer. As a Lynbrook Titans Football coach, and through our children’s involvement in many Lynbrook sports, we have developed strong bonds with our Titan football, Titan wrestling, Lynbrook/East Rockaway soccer, little league, and CYO volleyball families that remind us just how great it is to be a part of this community.” He said of his involvement with the village board, “As a Lynbrook Trustee, I am afforded the opportunity to meet wonderful people and families, make new friends, and help continually make this community thrive in years to come. I have always strongly believed in the ethos of giving back to your community.” He added that he views his position as “extremely gratifying to continue to help make Lynbrook such a great village.”

Contesting the New Vision party is the Preserve Lynbrook Party. This group consists of Hilary Becker running for mayor, with Antoniella Tavella and Steven Liguori running as trustees. They intend to preserve the character and image of Lynbrook by controlling development. The party has emphasized that they want to reject the much-debated Cornerstone apartment complex proposal, as they feel it puts Lynbrook’s character and quality of life at risk. As Liguori explained, “While we understand that new development may be necessary, we do not want over development. We will lay out a set of criteria that each proposal for development must meet. One of the criteria being a clear demonstration and explanation of how the project will benefit the residents of the Village without putting an extra tax burden upon them.” They have outlined a master plan for the downtown area that will require a bidding process for new development, limit the use of tax breaks, focus on preserving Lynbrook’s suburban quality, and consider the effects that new developments will have on the village, all while furthering the inclusion of residents in the local government by having an open-door policy.

Becker is a Lynbrook Village board member and real estate agent running for the mayoral position. He has served on the board for 10 years. He was a trustee until April 2018, when he became deputy mayor. He is running because he feels that Lynbrook is at a crossroads, and the pressure to develop is putting our suburban quality of life at risk. His religious motivations also drive his desire to serve Lynbrook, as he stated, “There are many of our neighbors who continue to struggle with financial, health, employment, and many other issues, and it’s my goal to try to help everyone as much as I can. I know that I can’t solve all of the world’s problems, but even if I can just help one person then I feel that I’m serving God, and hope that he will smile down on my family and I.” He has lived in Lynbrook for his whole life and treasures the many great memories he has made here and hopes to help residents to continue making memories in this great town: “…I know that if the residents give me the chance to be Mayor, I will put Lynbrook on the best course possible to continue to be the most wonderful place in the world to live, work, and play.  I know that I have the skills, education, and professional training to be the best person to get the job done, and I will do it!”

Tavella is running for trustee. She explained that she has decided to run because she wants to give back to the community, which she loves dearly, and because she values helping others. She said, “Being a public servant is one of the highest callings someone can have, and my drive and decision to run comes from the values taught to me by my parents. One of those core values was to help others.” She also feels that her years of experience in accounting, finance, and project management make her qualified for the job, and she looks forward to putting that experience to use to help lessen the troubles that come with living on Long Island. She looks forward to “presenting fresh ideas to the community. Ideas that will move us forward in a smart way and make Lynbrook the shining star of the South Shore and an example for other communities to follow.” Her favorite thing about Lynbrook is Greis Park. To her, it is “the heart and soul of the village.  A place where we can watch our kids grow and play, see our friends, and enjoy family events like the Easter Egg Hunt and fireworks show on Patriots Day.”

Along with Tavella, Liguori is also running for trustee. He hopes to offer the village new ideas and approach pressing issues in a new way that will produce better results. He has a background in senior management and has been responsible for profit and loss as well as a budget of hundreds of millions of dollars. He feels he is a good fit for the position because he “was successful in managing people and finding ways to motivate them to do a better job.” He added, “If you take a look at the position of a board member, there is responsibility for negotiating contracts and handling vendors as well as tending to the needs of the residents of this village.” He also hopes to make sure that the village’s laws and ordinances are enforced to ensure the preservation of quality of life. He stated what he enjoys most about the village is “the availability of help from our residents. We have a great amount of talent in this village, and I very much look forward to speaking with the citizens, especially our seniors, and gaining their insight into possible solutions to some of the problems that plague us in this village.”

In addition to these two parties, an independent candidate, David O’Neill, is running for village trustee. O’Neill has lived in Lynbrook for his whole life, owned the Village Car Service, and coached boys’ youth lacrosse for ten years. He explained, “I didn’t do these things in hopes of getting anything in return. I did them because I wanted to, and it brought joy to my heart knowing I was helping out another person, whether that person was a senior citizen I gave free rides to, or a kid who I coached in lacrosse, or a prom goer whom I had my taxis lined up for at the Lynbrook pool on prom night providing free rides home, ensuring their safety home, and putting their parents’ minds at ease..” O’Neill hopes to help Lynbrook as a trustee in the same way. He believes that the downtown area needs to be improved and that new businesses need to be developed to draw people in and help the existing businesses thrive. His goal is to “put Lynbrook, USA back on the map and create a booming downtown area where local businesses will thrive.” He also wants to maintain the safety of the village by working with the police and fire departments, along with putting an emphasis on taking care of Lynbrook’s senior citizens by offering them services such as “free transportation to the supermarket at least once a week and programs at the senior center to give them a chance to socialize with other seniors in a safe, worry free area.” O’Neill is running because he believes he can bring this change, and he wishes to see Lynbrook succeed.