Even though there are 18 elections scheduled for March 18 in Great Neck, only one of the spots is a contested with the passing of the Feb. 10 deadline for filing petitions.
The Village of Great Neck Plaza will have three candidates vying for two open trustee positions, those of Gerry Schneiderman and Lawrence Katz. Great Neck attorney Jonathan Stein is seeking to get one of those spots.
Village Clerk and Treasurer Patricia O’Byrne said that Stein is not running against a particular candidate. She said the two candidates with the highest number of votes would be elected to the board.
Stein, who said he decided to run in November but didn’t announce it publicly until early this year, criticized the current Great Neck Plaza leadership in a recent interview, saying they had failed to adequately address the number of empty storefronts in the village and put “Band-Aids” on issues. Stein also appeared before the village board in early January, saying he was concerned with the parking issues in the village.
Schneiderman has been a trustee since 2000, and served as chairman of the Board of Zoning Appeals from 1982 until 2000. Katz has been a trustee since 2012, and served as a member of the Board of Zoning Appeals from 2010 until 2012.
Great Neck Plaza trustees each receive $10,000 a year in salary. The mayoral and trustee positions in the other villages with upcoming elections do not receive a salary.
Great Neck Village Justice Neil Finkston is also running unopposed for his position.
A total of five villages have uncontested elections for village trustees, and in some cases village mayor.
In Russell Gardens, Mayor Steven Kirschner and trustees Martin Adickman and Jane Krakauer will be running for their open seats, with no competition.
Kirschner would be serving his second term consecutive term as mayor if elected. He also served as mayor from 2003 to 2009, and has been a trustee for two decades. Adickman has served on the board since 2003. Krakauer has served since 2009.
Thomaston will see three uncontested races for Mayor Steven Weinberg’s seat, as well as the seats for trustees Gary Noren and Jill Monoson, who all are running.
There are three open seats in Saddle Rock as well – for Mayor Dan Levy, trustee Mark Collins and Trustee David Schwartz. All are running for their seats, with no opposition.
Levy was elected as mayor in 2011, according to Saddle Rock’s website. Collins has been serving as trustee since 2005 and Schwartz has served since 2011.
Kensington won’t see mayoral elections this March, but it will see two trustee elections. Trustees Alina Hendler and Darren Kaplan are both running for their open seats.
In Great Neck Estates, Mayor David Fox, trustees William Warner and Sidney Krugman and village justice Harry Burstein are all running for their open seats uncontested as well.
All terms are for two years.
