The race is on for Valley Stream mayor

In less than a week, the mayor’s race will be decided and it will be known who will lead Valley Stream for the next four years.

Tuesday’s election features current village trustee Ed Fare against Gibson resident Joseph Margolin competing for the mayor’s office. There are also four candidates vying for two trustee seats, while Village Justice Robert Bogle is unopposed for his seventh term.

Of the four trustee candidates, Vincent Grasso is the lone incumbent of the group. He and Dermond Thomas join Fare and Bogle on the United Community Party. For the Citizens Independence Party, Gibson residents Carol Crupi and Michael LoCascio round out Margolin’s ticket.

Candidates from the Citizens Independence Party have been critical of the village government for adopting the new flood maps, which put much of Gibson into the high-risk flood zone. They say the village neglected to challenge the maps before they went into effect, and left homeowners stuck with four-figure annual insurance premiums. Margolin says that if elected, he will make this a priority and constantly be on the backs of officials at the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

“That’s a very real issue,” Margolin said, noting that the inclusion in the flood zone devalues home, and lowers the tax base of the entire village.

United Community Party candidates say they never expected the premiums to be so high, and that the village board adopted the maps thinking it was going to secure the lower “grandfathered” rates for residents. As soon as it was learned that wasn’t the case, officials said they began working with federal officials to help residents.

Fare, Grasso and Thomas have a three-point plan for the village. They want to freeze property taxes, continue the downtown revitalization project and expand recreational opportunities for residents.

For the Citizens Independence Party candidates, the empty store on Rockaway Avenue is also a concern. So are the empty storefronts on Gibson Boulevard, which were slated for demolition for a now-stalled housing development. Margolin, Crupi and LoCascio say they want to address areas of “blight” in the village.

Fare said the village has already addressed on blighted area by a approving a mixed-use development at the corner of Rockaway Avenue and Sunrise Highway. The project, which received a village-sponsored $2.5 million grant, will feature 64 apartments plus retail on the first floor. The building replaced the former adult store.

Margolin says that unifying the village is a centerpiece of his campaign. The former American history teacher says he has taught about sectionalism — where people would identify with their region — and sees that in his own town. “There’s something wrong there if people don’t identify with Valley Stream,” he said.

He said he is also concerned that services aren’t delivered equally throughout the village. Margolin, 66, has lived in Gibson section of Valley Stream for the past 10 years. His running mates, LoCascio and Crupi, have each lived in the community for more than 30 years.

Fare, 48, whose family has lived in Valley Stream for a century, said he wants to serve the community where he grew up, lives and works. The technology teacher at South High School said mayor is a position he has been aspiring to for many years. He was first elected to the village board in 2004 and re-elected in 2008.

He praised his fellow running mates, Grasso, Thomas and Bogle, and noted that it is a true coalition. Fare and Bogle are Republicans; Grasso and Thomas are Democrats. “The team we’ve put together here is the best team I can ever remember,” he said.

Margolin said he couldn’t be more impressed with the skills that his running mates bring to the table. He cited Crupi’s leadership on the FEMA issue and the important role LoCascio can play in address crime issues as a former police sergeant.