When Neil Leiberman originally chose to run for election onto the Great Neck Parks District Board of Commissioners more than a decade ago, he did so for a specific reason.
By challenging Gary Maker, then a longtime incumbent parks commissioner, Leiberman believed he had a real chance to enact change in what he characterized as a struggling parks district.
“When I ran 12 years ago, things were a lot different,” Leiberman said. “Things were in major disarray. That’s why I chose to run then.”
Leiberman has again made himself a candidate for a seat on the parks district board of commissioners. He is one of four candidates running in the Dec. 13 election to fill the seat, which will be vacated by retiring commissioner Ivar Segalowitz.
Although he failed in his initial bid to become a parks commissioner, Leiberman has campaigned over the last few months with no less fervor.
“This has been a dream for many years, but it’s not just a dream,” Leiberman said. “I’ve worked had for this very moment.”
“Everywhere I go in Great Neck at this point,” he added, “people say ‘gee, you must really want to be park commissioner. Everywhere I go, I see you. You give me literature here, literature there. It’s pretty definite you’re going to be a pretty hard-working parks commissioner.'”
And Leiberman, who is the husband of Great Neck News columnist Karen Rubin, is anxious for the chance to meld his passion for the Great Neck Parks District with the work of the current board of commissioners.
“We (now) have great commissioners, it’s as simple as that,” Leiberman said. “They have turned this parks system around since I was last a candidate 12 years ago. The main reason is because that they also have a passion for what they do.”
But, Leiberman believes he could bring more than just passion to the parks district.
Prior to his retirement three years ago, Leiberman worked as a teacher and guidance counselor in the New York City school system for 36 years. He holds an undergraduate degree in industrial psychology from the City College of New York, along with master’s degrees in health, education and guidance counseling.
Leiberman also worked as a sales representative with Collegiate Cap and Gown and holds a real estate license.
With his level of professional experience, Leiberman believes he could bring a certain expertise to the board of commissioners.
“This is my expertise, the marketing,” Leiberman said. “This is my forte. I’m knowledgeable about budgets, but my biggest focus and my professional background is in marketing a project that I believe in.”
There are several projects Leiberman would like to help enact, which he said could “enhance the services the park already has and collect more revenue to lower park taxes.”
“That’s a concern in any community these days with the economy being what it is,” Leiberman said. “Taxes are always an issue and one of my programs is to expand the tax base.”
The park district is currently comprised of all Great Neck Villages and unincorporated areas with the exception of Great Neck Estates, Harbor Hills, Lake Success, Saddle Rock and University Gardens.
Leiberman would like to encourage all nine villages to become a part of the district.
“Of 43,000 residents who contribute to the tax base, only about 23,000 (contribute to the parks district),” he said.
And Leiberman said he has already begun talking with the mayors of the villages not in the parks district and has offered a solution for their residents.
“Hopefully upon being elected as park commissioner, I’m going to be meeting with these mayors more formally,” Leiberman said. “Right now I’ve been running the idea by them of, would people in these communities like Saddle Rock and Great Neck Estates, Lake Success, on a volunteer basis, like to join the parks district.”
Leiberman also said he has spoken with Village of Great Neck Plaza Mayor Jean Celender about another key issue to his campaign, which is commuter parking. He is a member of the park district’s commuter parking committee.
“Our commuter lots are filled to capacity,” Leiberman said. “We’re going to be meeting again because we’ve been talking about a way to add more parking spaces.”
The two ways Leiberman believes that the parks district can build upon commuter parking is to either build a second level at the upper lot, or build a lot suspended over the Long Island Rail Road tracks.
“Those lots are our greatest source of revenue in the entire park system,” Leiberman said.
Another way Leiberman has proposed to enact change within the parks district is by increasing non-tax revenue.
Leiberman plans to do so by attempting to secure advertising at Parkwood Ice Rink and for the shows at Steppingstone Park. He said he would also like to secure grants for green energy projects to pursue solar panel electricity for parks facilities.
“The parks district, as I see it, should be the model for all of these innovative projects,” Leiberman said.
He also said he has worked with Town of North Hempstead Supervisor Jon Kaiman to propose a recycling program for the parks.
“Years ago, I proposed introducing recycling in the parks,” Leiberman said. “I introduced this 12 years ago and it came to pass, then it was eliminated. They didn’t stay on top of it. The park district should have a more comprehensive recycling program, I believe, at every facility.”
Leiberman also said bringing back sailing regattas and kayaking at the marina, along with fishing derbies for children and adults could also provide additional revenue for the parks.
He said that same idea would go for adding additional services and programs at the parks’ tennis courts and swimming pool.
“My theme for this whole campaign is doing more with less,” Leiberman said. “These are not going to bring in big dollars, but these are more services for the tax dollar.”
