Horowitz triumphs in Sanitation No. 7 election

Matthew Horowitz has been elected commissioner of Sanitation District No. 7, capping an acrimonious months-long campaign and unseating incumbent Jean Kramer, who had occupied the position for a year.

Garnering 602 votes, Horowitz soundly defeated his two opponents, Kramer and retired Oceanside sanitation worker Joseph Samoles who each earned 348 votes and 288 votes respectively. In total, 1,238 Oceanside residents submitted their choice for the commissioner’s seat.

The initial results came in at around 10:15 p.m., much to the elation of more than a dozen friends and family who came to support Horowitz. The election had turned ugly on social media, with accusations of corruption thrown at Kramer and current sanitation board Chairman Ed Scharfberg.

Additionally, in the run-up to the election, on early April 28, two pickup trucks at the rear of Sanitation No. 7’s Mott Street headquarters caught fire. In light of the district’s long-standing disputes, and the unusual circumstances surrounding the fire, Oceanside Fire Department Chief Kevin Klein said he had reason to believe it may have been set intentionally. The incident is currently under investigation by the Nassau County Fire Marshal’s office.

Upon his victory, Horowitz said he would like to move past all of that. “It was a hard [campaign] for everyone,” he said and thanked his two opponents. “Now lets take a new step forward and put the past behind us.”