Malverne incumbents tout accomplishments

Touting their accomplishments and promising to maintain their successes, Malverne Mayor Patricia McDonald, Deputy Mayor James Callahan III and Trustee Michael Bailey are running again this year for their seats on the village board.

Members of the Independent Party of Malverne, the trio are running together as a slate on a multi-issue platform that highlights what they consider three noteworthy accomplishments: preserving Grossmann’s Farm, improving the village’s finances and reforming its management.

It took three years of meetings, negotiations and planning, but the village board managed to persuade Nassau County not only to purchase Grossmann’s Farm with the intention of maintaining it as a farm, but also to donate a parcel of the property to the village for potential use as a community center or other facility.

Over the past four years, the board has restored the village’s budgetary surplus, which helped its bond rating jump two levels, to double A-plus. It now has more than 10 percent of its budget in reserve. Trustees have also kept taxes at what they consider a relatively low level.

From the start of their current term in 2007, the trustees put in place management evaluation and improvement plans at all levels of government, from the Department of Public Works to the public library to the village’s volunteer organizations.

“These are things that aren’t done just willy-nilly,” Callahan said. “They take some work to be done.”

All three contenders say they firmly believe their actions and records speak for themselves, and demonstrate to Malverne voters the strength of their character and the extent of their capabilities.

“The village has never been looking better or performing better,” said Bailey, who has lived in the village for 25 years. “The preparations we’ve made and discipline we have have helped us and will continue to help us.”

What has been of key importance, Bailey added, is that each trustee brings a different set of skills and experiences to the table.

“Do we all agree on everything?” McDonald asked during a recent interview with the Herald. “No, but when it comes down to what’s best for the village, what’s best for the residents of this community, everyone does agree. We try to work together.”

And that includes Trustees Joe Hennessy and John O’Brien, who are members of the Taxpayers and Village parties, respectively. Regardless of their affiliations and in spite of their differences, Malverne’s representatives respect one another and their constituents, according to Bailey, who is completing his first term as a trustee.

“I’ve never seen a board work together as successfully as this board and that starts with the leadership,” he said. “Mayor McDonald is an incredible leader. … She has led the different people with their different skills to collaborate exceptionally well.”

McDonald, who has been in office for 12 years and served as mayor for the past four, said she loves her position. “I feel very privileged to have served the village,” she said. “Really, it’s working with this particular board these past four years. … We’ve gotten a lot accomplished, we’ve done a lot, and everybody is there for the right reasons, and that’s what’s best for the community.”

But Callahan, who has served in numerous positions in the village and on the board since 1999, admits there is always room for improvement. “We’re not perfect by any means,” he said, noting that the board is looking at ways to revamp the Buildings Department, primarily to make it more user-friendly.

The village Roadway Improvement Project taught the trustees about the importance of communication, Callahan said, and the village continues to work to improve relationships with local volunteer groups, neighboring villages and the local school district.