Lee Israel leaves Woodsburgh, but will still serve as adviser

Lee Israel served as mayor of Woodsburgh village for the past decade, and as a trustee and in other roles dating back to 2005. Though he has stepped down and moved out of the Five Towns municipality, Israel will remain involved in an advisory position.

“Woodsburgh will always be my home,” he said of the village where he lived for 23 of his 30 years in the Five Towns. “I have devoted a lot of time to this community, and plan on continuing to do so.” Israel, 54, cannot serve in an elected position as a non-resident, so he will take on the appointed post of chairman of strategic planning and projects.

Being civically involved and active in philanthropic efforts came naturally to Israel, he said. “I’ve always taken an active role in everything I do,” he said. “It’s in my nature to go in 100 percent. I am thankful and appreciative that I’m in a position to be able to help.”

Beginning as Woodburgh’s commissioner of roads (2005-07), Israel also served as village treasurer (2007-09), trustee (2009-13) and police commissioner (2011-12), and then succeeded Susan Schlaff as mayor in 2013.

Israel and the board of trustees helped to create an online presence for a village with a population of just over 800. To help ensure the safety of its residents, whose median family income is just under $190,00 per year, license plate reader cameras connected to the Nassau County Police Department were installed around the village, the NCPD’s 4th Precinct conducts security patrols and there are video cameras as well.

Israel also listed Woodsburgh’s “fiscally sound” budgets and no tax increases in eight out of nine years as accomplishments of his administration, along with the repaving of village roads, the implementation of a tax billing and collection program, the updating of a majority of the village office systems and policies and the installation of a resident emergency notification system.

“I love the action and responsibility of the position,” Israel said of being mayor, “the interaction with my team, with my staff and fellow residents. I was always a very hands-on mayor, and liked to be involved in the details of running a municipality.”

Applying that outlook to charitable organizations, Israel is currently a South Shore board member of the UJA-Federation of NY, a board member of Community Chest South Shore and an advisory board member of the Nassau County Police Foundation, all since 2012.

He has been a member of the Winthrop University Hospital Board of Regents since 2013, and the hospital’s board of directors since 2014. “I want to always play an active role in improving where I live and give back to the community,” he said.

His tenure as mayor has not always been smooth sailing. For the past five and a half years, the village has been entangled in issues with the Woodmere Club, from its sale to developers Efrem Gerszberg and Robert Weiss, to the closing of the community landmark, to the various lawsuits that have resulted.

“I have the utmost respect for mayor Israel,” Gerszberg wrote in an email. “Over the past five years there have been times that mayor Israel had to take adversarial position in support of the interests of his constituents. Nevertheless, he has acted as a gentleman who respects all people, even those opposed to his position.”

That respect also extends to the remaining village board members, who acted on Israel’s recommendation that Trustee Jake Harman, who was serving as deputy mayor, be appointed mayor.

“We ran together 10 years ago, and the last several terms have worked closely — nobody’s heart is (more) in the right place or dedicated,” Harman said. “I’m sorry to see him go. He has a unique ability to listen to you and considers everything.”

Harman and Trustees Alan Hirmes and Shira Hoschander now have the job of appointing someone to the board. “We’ll have some deliberations,” Harman said.  “There are several qualified individuals that would be welcomed additions.”

Though he is now living on the North Shore, Israel, who is married and has two grown children, will remain involved in village affairs, and is upbeat about its future.

“I am very optimistic about Woodsburgh despite the controversy of development,” he said, “and confident that this, too, will work out to the betterment of Woodsburgh and the surrounding community.”