By John Nugent
Mayor Steven Kirschner banged the gavel for the last time at Thursday’s Village of Russell Gardens Board of Trustees meeting.
After serving on the Board since 1989 and as mayor for 12 of the last 16 years, Kirschner will be stepping down later in the month because he is moving out of the village.
“It was a joy and an honor to have lived here for 40 years and to have served as mayor,” Kirschner said, citing the renovation of Village Hall, improvements to village parks and the purchase of the village tennis courts as among his proudest achievements.
Fellow board members and residents in attendance applauded the mayor at the close of the meeting for his many years of dedicated service to the village.
“He is a totally selfless person who definitely helped all the residents of the village,” Trustee Martin Adickman said.
“He is a great guy, very intelligent and well-liked,” Trustee Jane Krakauer added, noting his “tireless efforts” in the reconstruction of Village Hall and purchasing the tennis courts.
Russell Gardens resident Carole Simon described Kirschner as “a good guy.”
“Steve has been a very good mayor for the village and we will miss him,” Simon said.
Deputy Mayor David Miller will become the acting mayor on Jan. 23 and remain in that capacity until the next election on March 19.
In unrelated business, trustees approved several agenda items during the meeting.
The board adopted the proposed 2019-2020 fiscal year budget of $1.76 million, which is about $100,000 higher than the 2018-2019 budget of $1.66 million. Kirschner said that the new budget features no tax increases.
A public hearing will also be held on Feb. 7 to consider a proposal that would reduce the village speed limit from 30 to 25 miles per hour.
The board also voted to authorize the mayor to enter into a contract with Meadow Carting in the amount of $561,000 over three years for garbage collection.
Additionally, Helene Horowitz has been appointed as a member of the Zoning Board of Appeals effective Jan. 23.
