East Williston Mayor David Tanner became the 83rd president of the Nassau County Village Officials Association last Thursday.
After 15 years of service in the organization, Tanner took the reins from outgoing president Ralph Kreitzman, the mayor of the Village of Great Neck.
“They say time goes fast when you’re having fun. In my case I think the characterization should be interesting, educational, challenging, frustrating, rewarding and yes, some fun,” Kreitzman said.
Kreitzman served two one-year terms as president, from June 2011 to June 2013.
In his farewell remarks he thanked his fellow officials for the opportunity to serve the organization.
“This is not a swan song. I plan to continue to serve and help them in any way that I possibly can,” said Kreitzman, who was elected president of the Great Neck Village Officials Association last week.
Nassau County Clerk Maureen O’Connell was at the meeting, held at La Marmite in Williston Park, to swear in Tanner and the other ascending officials in the executive committee – Village of Plandome Manor Mayor Barbara Donno as 1st vice president, Village of Westbury Mayor Peter Cavallaro as 2nd vice president and Old Brookville Mayor Bernard Ryba as treasurer.
O’Connell began her public service career as a trustee in East Williston in 1991.
“My heart is always in village government, that’s where you’re closest to the people,” she told the gathered officials. “That’s where you get those calls on a Saturday morning, ‘I have a pigeon with a wing that looks like it doesn’t fly right in my backyard, what do I do?’”
After being sworn in, Tanner delivered a brief speech to the more than 50 village officials in attendance.
“Tonight is not about me – it’s about this wonderful organization,” he said. “It’s also about the service we provide our residents where we contribute to their quality of life, make them feel more close to their government and community and in so doing enrich their own lives.”
Tanner said he has some plans for the organization but that he would “be a little conservative” and wait to discuss them until later in the year.
“It really does mean a lot to me. I appreciate everybody being here,” he said.
After Tanner delivered his first speech as president, executive director Warren Tackenberg brought up some future issues, including the annual NCVOA meeting on Sept. 13, where they will be honoring Kreitzman.
Tackenberg also discussed municipal officials’ ongoing disagreement with a state mandate to switch from lever to electronic voting machines.
“This is not a joke because we’re talking about big dollars,” he said.
Last year Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a law, sponsored by state Assemblywoman Michelle Schimel (D-Great Neck) and state Sen. Jack Martins (R-Mineola), that allowed villages and districts to continue using lever voting machines. That measure is scheduled to sunset at the end of 2014.
Tackenberg referred to New York City election officials that said they would not be able to count votes on electronic machines fast enough in between this year’s upcoming mayoral election and the subsequent run-off election that is likely to take place two weeks later. The state Legislature voted last week to allow the city to use its old lever voting machines.
“What do you think is going to happen in Nassau County when you have March elections for villages and the next month have school board elections, and if the school board election goes down you’re gonna have a recast on that right into the June elections?” Tackenberg said.
He also lamented the suggestion from the county that villages have to buy ballots for 110 percent of your registered voters at 55 cents a ballot. He said that the county has hundreds of thousands of unused ballots, “sitting in a warehouse waiting to be destroyed.”
“People are not aware of the crisis we are in but you may not be able to get election machines in 2014 or 2015,” Tackenberg said. “We’re working on that and we’re gonna need everybody’s help as we get down the line. We need the support.”
