Focazio wins in Elmont Fire Dist.
Incumbent commissioner keeps seat
A relative handful of Elmont voters — though a large count by fire district standards — re-elected Fire Commissioner Vincent Focazio Jr. Dec. 8, ending speculation that there might be a shakeup in fire district leadership.
Focazio took the race by a nearly 3-to-1 margin, defeating challenger Kenneth McLean 336 votes to 117. McLean campaigned on a promise of openness, pledging that residents would have more control over the fire district budget.
The voting took place at the fire district’s Elmont office, at 100 School Road.
The fire district was the first special district in the area to poll the public since the Nov. 3 general election, in which high taxes helped unseat some politicians in favor of those promising to rein in spending and slash budgets.
Some fire commissioners lost their seats over those same issues, with residents voting to reject large budgets and to elect candidates who said they could help each area work on bare-bones finances.
Focazio’s re-election, even in the face of those concerns, seems to be proof that, in Elmont, at least, concern about high taxes may still be trumped by the belief that any investment in public safety is worth paying a premium.
Ralph Esposito, a fellow member of the board of commissioners, said he wasn’t surprised by Focazio’s victory. “The guy really does a great job,” Esposito said. “He’s one of our great commissioners, and always does what he has to do. That’s why the people voted him in for another term.”
While high taxes are always an issue in Elmont, Esposito thinks the board of commissioners does a good job letting taxpayers know just where their money is going. “We go to community meetings, we talk to the people, we have a fire-prevention program, school programs, senior programs,” he said. “If they want something, we’re more than happy to help them.”
Esposito added that in addition to paying to fuel trucks and maintain equipment, the Elmont fire district also has to worry about other costs that many people don’t see or wouldn’t know about, including the high cost of water and leasing hydrants — something not every fire district is charged with.
