The Village of Great Neck swore in its trustees and village justice at Tuesday night’s board meeting, two weeks after its incumbent candidates prevailed over a surprise write-in challenge by opponents of Mayor Ralph Kreitzman’s administration.
Before state Assemblywoman Michelle Schimel (D-Great Neck) and Town of North Hempstead Clerk Leslie Gross read Kreitzman, Deputy Mayor Mitchell Beckerman, Trustee Jeffrey Bass and Village Justice Mark Birnbaum their oaths, the board declined to consider an appeal by opposition organizer Rebecca Gilliar, saying that her letter urging the board to ask the state attorney general to review the election results was submitted too late to make the meeting’s agenda.
“I think it is unfair to those who submitted on time and you can address your comment at the end of the meeting after everyone who was timely,” Kreitzman said to Gilliar.
Gilliar began to argue with Kreitzman, leading to a brief back and forth with the mayor telling Gilliar “you’re going to have to wait.” Gilliar submitted the letter on Friday, after the village’s deadline for agenda item submissions, but she argued that the agenda had not been finalized when she handed in the letter at Village Hall.
Gilliar’s letter cited problems with voting machines and alleged irregularities on election night, which saw poll workers counting votes until 1:30 a.m., when the incumbents were declared victorious over an opposition slate of mayoral candidate Pedram Bral, trustee candidates Christine Campbell and Anne Mendelson and village justice candidate Kambiz “Eli” Akhavan.
Schimel, in remarks prior to swearing in Kreitzman and Birnbaum, offered lightly veiled criticism of the surprise write-in campaign that was not widely publicized until the afternoon of the election.
“Candidates should offer the electorate an informed consent so they can choose from the ballot openly and confidently. Opposing viewpoints are welcome and, we agree, expected. But the process must be respected,” Schimel said. “The officials – all of them that are up here that are being sworn in tonight – do not shrink from their responsibility to inform the citizens their point of view.”
“They inform us and we consent or we differ from them, but then we vote. That is democracy,” Schimel added.
Schimel praised Kreitzman, saying he “serves this village to an almost selfless level.” She also had kind words for Birnbaum, who will leave his position as trustee to take the village justice post.
“I wish you well in your position, but word has it that you will be sorely missed on this board,” Schimel said.
Birnbaum’s empty seat will be filled by board appointment.
Gross, a Democrat who grew up in Great Neck and will be running for town clerk this fall on the Republican ticket against Nassau County Legislator Wayne Wink (D-Roslyn), said she was honored to swear in Beckerman and Bass.
“To be here to swear in two people who have served this community and made this such a wonderful community that I can come back to, that I can visit and say it gets better every year,” Gross said. “It really is only due to the selfless work and the efforts of this board all together.”
