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Lenahan won’t seek second term as East Rockaway mayor

Endorses Deputy Mayor Bruno Romano to succeed him

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East Rockaway Mayor Fran Lenahan has announced that he will not seek re-election to a second four-year term.

“I am very proud of all that has been accomplished over the past four years,” Lenahan said, “but after a great deal of reflection and many hours of discussion with my family, I’ve decided that I’m at a point in my life where I want to spend more time with my wife, children and grandchildren. It’s great to be called ‘Mayor,’ but it’s even better to be called ‘Dad’ and ‘Grandpa.’”

In 2011, Pride Party candidate Lenahan and his running mates, Ed Corrado and Stanley Lombardo, won three seats on the village board in an election that saw the highest voter turnout in almost 20 years, with 2,419 ballots cast — eclipsing the previous high of 2,196 in 1997.

“Being mayor of the village I love has been an extraordinary honor,” Lenahan said. “It’s been an exciting four years. My administration has worked hard to reduce the size and cost of village government. During these four years, East Rockaway has become

a model of what local government can do when it puts the interests of taxpayers first.”

Lenahan said that his administration eliminated waste and high-paying patronage jobs in Village Hall when he became mayor, and has cut taxes in three out of the past four years. “We cut village spending, and saw East Rockaway’s Wall Street credit rating upgraded,” he said. “We improved our parks, repaired miles and miles of roadway, beautified our village’s business districts, expanded and improved recreation and youth programs and, most importantly, we brought our East Rockaway back from the utter devastation of Superstorm Sandy.”

Lenahan endorsed Deputy Mayor Bruno Romano to succeed him, citing Romano’s “long and distinguished career” in village government. “He’s been my strong right hand over these past four years,” Lenahan said, “and I’m delighted that he’s running to carry on the important work that still needs to be done in Village Hall.”

Lenahan also endorsed two newcomers to local politics who will be running alongside Romano for two open trustee seats, currently held by Corrado and Lombardo: Gordon Fox, a senior executive in the financial services industry and a former member of the East Rockaway Board of Education, and Richard Bilello, a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point who also earned an MBA in Economics from New York University.

“Bruno Romano, Gordon Fox and Rich Bilello, along with sitting Trustee Theresa Gaffney, will make a great team that will work together to protect taxpayers from higher property taxes while continuing to deliver the finest services to residents of any municipality on Long Island,” Lenahan said.

All three candidates are running unopposed. Village elections will be held on March 18.