Mayor shares vision for Sea Cliff

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Sea Cliff Mayor Edward Lieberman has lived in the village for 22 years. He’s a criminal defense attorney, with his office right on Sea Cliff Avenue. He’s been the mayor since last November. Now he’s running for re-election unopposed. The vote is March 21.

“I’m in Sea Cliff full time, which as mayor I believe you need to be,” he said. “I also feel I’m serving residents and my clients in the most effective way I can.”

Lieberman, 65, is working to create a village that is a destination site. “I have a vision for Sea Cliff Avenue to become a little Nyack, where you can walk up and down the avenue and visit pubs, restaurants, art galleries and listen to music,” he explained. “I’m working with the businesses and art community to try to make this happen.”

Lieberman, who was born in Brooklyn, had been an attorney at Librett, Friedland in Garden City for 33 years, advancing to partner. He left in 2015 to open his own law firm and work more for the village.

He got his first taste of village politics in 2003 when he decided to attend a village meeting. Lieberman has a background in political procedures, so he was curious to see what was going on in his community.

It wasn’t long before Mayor Bruce Kennedy asked Lieberman to get involved. “I volunteered to be on the Sea Cliff Beach Committee first,” he said. “Then Bruce appointed me to the Environmental Conservation Commission and then to the Planning Board. I decided to run for trustee in 2013.”

He ran unopposed, and then two years later ran again, also unchallenged. “I campaigned harder when I ran for trustee,” said Lieberman, smiling. “That’s because I never take anything for granted — in life, or my professional work.”

He had wanted to be a leader in the village long before he ran for trustee, but Lieberman was committed to the Sea Cliff-Glen Head Lions Club. He was the club president for seven years and then was elected as the district governor.

“My duties increased, since I was responsible for all of Nassau County and Bermuda,” he explained. “When I was elected to a council chair, I became even more busy. I was responsible for all of New York state and Bermuda.“

It was like a full-time job, Lieberman added, which included state, county and international travel. After his term with the Lions was complete, he was appointed deputy mayor in 2015, and then again in 2016.

The village administrator had left in 2016, and Kennedy was doing that job, in addition to being the mayor, running his business and tending to his family. Lieberman said It became overwhelming for Kennedy. “Bruce was questioning whether he wanted to run again, and that’s when the board asked him if he’d like to be considered for the village administrator job,” Lieberman said. “In order to be, he had to resign as mayor. Village administrator is more crucial than any other position.”

Kennedy resigned on Nov. 28, and the board elected Lieberman as mayor. Kennedy became the administrator.

Lieberman comes from a family who believe that community service is of the utmost importance. His father, a World War II veteran who had earned the Bronze Star, was the president of the Bayside Hills Jewish Center, and his maternal grandfather, Edward Larkin, was a law clerk for Benjamin Cardoza, an influential Supreme Court justice.

“I learned from my family the importance of public service, to be proud of your heritage and to always be vigilant when other institutions or people are in a position to threaten your liberty and your pursuit of your spiritual beliefs,” he said. “I was on the Board of Directors of the Urban League and on the Life’s WORC Board of Directors for 10 years. It’s a non-for profit that provides group homes for special-needs services and adults.”

Lieberman said as an attorney he has also served the public. After passing the bar, Lieberman was hired to work for the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office under District Attorney Denis Dillon. He worked as an assistant district attorney from 1978 to 1982, doing trial work, and then investigative work after being assigned to the Official Corruption Bureau, where he handled allegations of corruption against public officials. He became chief of the Civil Rights Unit in 1981.

“There was a spate of cross burnings, anti-Semitic violence,” he recalled. “I investigated, prosecuted hate crimes and was involved with the community when I lectured at high schools and at community organizations about our work.”

The mayor said his work as an attorney will continue to benefit the village. “I have a keen sense of due process and dealing with not only effective enforcement of the code, but can also recognize when the code needs amended or altered.”

As mayor, he’s tried to make the village more open. And he changed the village meeting time from 8 to 7 p.m., ensuring that the public comment portion begins at 7. Residents who are new in town receive a welcome letter, courtesy of the mayor.

“As mayor, I’m just scratching the surface to make village government more assessable, open, and inviting to everyone,” he said. “That’s how I started as a trustee.”

He has additional plans too. “I want to continue to revamp the building department and hire another full-time inspector,” he said. “We have been revitalizing the downstairs meeting room and court room in village hall, which I’d like to see continue.”