Having spent the past 12 years volunteering on the Village of Roslyn Estates Board of Trustees, Sandy Joel Siff figured it was time he retired.
So he decided not to file for re-election.
When no one else filed for Siff’s seat, Village Clerk Brian Rivera said the winner would be based on write-in votes at the March 15 election and if there were no write-ins the mayor and the Board of Trustees would select someone to serve in Siff’s place.
Then the election was held and Siff won with 15 write-in votes.
Incumbent trustee, Brian Feingold who ran unopposed, received 23 votes to earn a sixth two year term.
Siff said he was in disbelief when he found out he had been re-elected.
“I’m very honored by the trust the people of Roslyn Estates have placed in me,” Siff said. “To be elected without being on a ballot really means a lot to me.”
Siff said Wednesday he still hasn’t made up mind whether to serve another two-year term.
“Right now, I don’t have a definitive answer only that I will evaluate the situation as time goes on with my family,” Siff said. “We’re still planning and talking to individuals and I make my decision, I will let you know.”
Rivera told Newsday following the election he wasn’t surprised that Siff was re-elected despite not being on the ballot.
“It’s obvious that some people want him back but it’s up to him whether he wants to go for another term or decline it,” Rivera said. “He’s such a good person and he gives a lot to the community. I can understand why people wanted him back.”
In announcing his decision not to run for re-election, Siff said he had enjoyed being involved in the Village of Roslyn Estates government and it has been a worthwhile experience for me serving in the position of trustee and deputy mayor.”
He had indicated his willingness to step down two years earlier when he told the Roslyn Times in 2014 after winning a sixth term as trustee that he would like to see the next generation of the village’s leaders emerge — even if it meant losing in the polls.
“We should have constant change at this level, we should have people moving on and I would gracefully step aside and support them and help them continue,” Siff said.
Siff said he still feels the same way about other people stepping up to take reigns on the board.
“I’m in favor of term limits you know. It sort of forces people to step up and run for a board position,” Siff said.
He said he served 10 years on the Bryant Library Board of Trustees and the nine-year term limit the board place on trustees significantly helped the library.
“It’s a continual process of selection where you always have a succession plan of different range of people with different backgrounds.”
Siff and his wife Carolyn are 45 year residents of Roslyn Estates. They have raised four children in the community and are now raising their 15 grandchildren.
“Being involved with family, being with them I had like a crunch time of saying I had to reduce certain things,” Siff said to CBS 2. “I still have to weigh that and we have to discuss it further and see how our lives intertwine with community participation.”
He said he looking at the decision to return to the village board more positively now than when he decided to retire.
Siff has until April 30 to make his decision.
