50.0°,
Light Rain Village voting in the Five Towns
Lawrence voters came out for uncontested election
Village elections were held in Atlantic Beach, Lawrence, Woodsburgh, Hewlett Bay Park, Hewlett Harbor and Hewlett Nck on June 19. The only contested race was for mayor in Atlantic Beach.
Atlantic Beach
Village of Atlantic Beach Mayor Stephen Mahler, who ran for his ninth, two-year term, defeated challenger and former village Trustee Edward Radburn by a vote of 389 to 244. It was the second time in two mayoral elections that Mahler, who was first sworn in 1996, beat Radburn. Trustees Edward Sullivan and Linda Baessler, ran unopposed and were re-elected to their third and second, two-year terms, respectively. Sullivan received 447 votes and Baessler garnered 419.
Mahler said that he will continue what his administration has done: Maintain the village, while remaining fiscally prident and within the Atlantic Beach's budget. The current fiscall plan is $2.8 million.
Repairing the roads is a village's largest expense, he said and attempting to do it without leveraging the future is a balancing act. "You can't ask people in the present to pay for everything in the future," Mahler said, "You have to keep it within your means."
Lawrence
In the Village of Lawrence, the elections for mayor, two trustee positions and the village justice were uncontested. Mayor Martin Oliner was re-elected for his second, two-year term with 479 votes. Trustee C. Simon Felder was re-elected for his second, two-year term and collected 470 votes. Erwin “Irving” Langer gained his first term as a trustee with 455 votes. Village Justice Donald Buchalter, who has held the position since 1987, was re-elected for another four-year term. Buchalter got 430 votes.
A total of 500 residents voted in the election, which is a large number for the village in uncontested races, said Village Administrator Dave Smollet. Felder said that the number of votes in an uncontested shows that the community is vibrant and strong, and interested in village government and its affairs. "I congratulate the voters for their expression of confidence and giving us a mandate to do the things we feel are important," he said. "It is a victory for the community."
