Sanitary District 1 race remains in court, Dec. 15

After several court hearings, the most recent on Nov. 21, Sanitary District 1 remains without a winner for commissioner between Gabriel Boxer and Gwynette Campbell.

The July 11 election was to determine who would complete the remaining four years of Lino Viola’s five-year term. He stepped down in April. Campbell, an Inwood resident, was appointed to replace him. Campbell, based on an agreement between the parties, is serving as a commissioner.

Boxer, a Hewlett resident, garnered 395 votes to Campbell’s 288. Boxer is the CEO of Kosher Response and Leon Mayer Fund; both are nonprofits that aim to help people in need. Campbell serves on the Five Towns Community Center boards and is the current president.

John Ciampoli, Boxer’s attorney, did not return calls on the latest legal wrangling, but previously said he was calling for a new election or to invalidate the ballots due to the lack of documentation of the process of who distributed and received the applications.

Due to a scheduling conflict, Ciampoli did not show up to court on Nov. 1 but was available on Nov. 21, which was conducted by telephone conference.

Nat Swergold, is representing the sanitary district, which he has done for more than 50 years. Swergold said his team will provide two pieces of information to the court for Ciampoli and his client.

“We are going to make available to Mr. Ciampoli redacted copies of the absentee ballot applications,” Swergold said. Redacted copies block out sensitive information from the ballot that the applicant wouldn’t want to be known to the public. On the redacted copies, the name and address of an applicant will be shown. Another piece of information is sealed envelopes containing the absentee ballots. 

The two sides are due back in court on Dec. 15.

Sanitary District 1 was established in 1929 by the Hempstead Town Board. The district collects the recycling and trash of more than 50,000 residents and a variety of commercial and institutional properties across the Five Towns and portions of the unincorporated areas Lynbrook and Green Acres. The sanitary district is one of such five independent districts in the town.