Don’t forget to vote on Tuesday

This year’s village board election doesn’t have the same buzz as last year, when the mayor and two trustees were up for re-election and all three races were contested. Incumbent Trustees John Tufarelli and Virginia Clavin-Higgins have been spared opposition this year and are shoo-ins for re-election.

But despite the lack of competition, we encourage village residents to get out and vote on Tuesday, when polls are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Even though the outcome of the election is all but certain, we believe it is important to exercise your right to vote.

A village board is the level of government closest to the people. It provides your basic services — garbage collection, street cleaning and repairs, parks and recreation. Village officials make decisions, through resolutions, local laws and zoning codes, that affect your quality of life.

The United Community Party-led government has been very active in the past year. New initiatives such as the skate park and dog park are coming to fruition. There have been beautification efforts on Rockaway Avenue, and services have been maintained and strengthened without drastically raising taxes. And village officials have been trying new and creative ways to increase non-tax revenue.

Tufarelli is seeking election to his second term, and we believe he deserves your vote. He has spent his first term actively listening to residents’ concerns and working to do what’s best for the people of the Valley Stream.

Virginia Clavin-Higgins, having been appointed to the board last October, has less of a record to assess, but we believe she has been a good addition and brings a great deal of potential. She is raising a family in the village and has a vested interest in keeping Valley Stream a good, safe place to live. She deserves your support as well.

It’s important to vote not only to support two candidates who are working for the people, but also to remind village government that it is accountable. As pleased as we are with the job board members are doing, it’s always a good idea to remind them that the people are watching. That is the most basic principle of our democracy.

So don’t forget to vote on Tuesday.