The incumbents in East Williston and Mineola coasted to landslide victories as expected in their uncontested elections, even as East Williston Mayor David Tanner easily withstood a late call for write-in votes against him.
Tanner and running mate Trustee Bonnie Parente were re-elected with 64 votes and 71 votes, respectively. James Iannone, a newcomer running for a second trustee seat in East Williston, was elected with 73 votes.
“I’m looking forward to working with our newly elected trustee, James Iannone, and appreciate the vote of confidence placed in me and the entire village board in resolving the challenging water issue with our neighboring village,” Tanner said, referring to a longstanding dispute between his village and Williston Park over water rates.
But John Azzara, a resident of East Williston who has been critical of the Tanner’s fiscal policies and stance in the water talks, had sent out an eleventh-hour email to residents calling on them to “consider a write-in candidate for mayor on your ballot” if they were unhappy with the mayor.
“This is a real and legitimate option for all elections, and I urge you to use your right to vote and make your voice heard,” the email said.
In response, Parente received three write-in votes for mayor and Azzara received six write-in votes himself. He said he had hoped for 30 total write-in votes for any candidate to turn the election into a referendum on Tanner’s record.
Azzara did say that he felt the low election turnout reflected residents’ feelings toward Tanner and the Board of Trustees and a general feeling of malaise and inability to effect change. Voter turnout for uncontested municipal elections is typically low.
Iannone, an attorney whose practice is based in Williston Park, won the trustee seat of Caroline DeBenedittis, who decided not to seek re-election.
“I’ve spoken to the mayor, the deputy mayor and the two other trustees, and I look forward to meeting with them and working with them on the issues that are facing our villages,” Iannone said, adding, “I already started to speak to my neighbors and constituents about their concerns.“
In Mineola, Mayor Scott Strauss and Trustees George Durham and Dennis Walsh were all re-elected, with more than 300 votes.
The three were running unopposed in a joint campaign as members of the village’s New Line Party.
Durham, who was elected to a third term as trustee, said he believes the elections reflected residents’ opinions of the New Line Party’s “pay-as-you-go” fiscal policy, which has reduced the village’s $33 million debt by more than half since it assumed control of the board.
“I think people are generally happy with what’s going on. There may be some people upset with certain things. But for the fiscal management of the village, I think people realize we’re doing things right by the village,” he said.
Strauss, a former member of the New York Police Department and a 9/11 emergency responder, has served as mayor since 2011.
Walsh, a retired member of the NYPD and longtime active resident in Mineola, was first elected in 2013.
