After spending 38 years serving the Village of Old Westbury, Mayor Fred Carillo says he will not be running for another term of office.
Over nearly four decades, Carillo has served as a member of the village’s Architectural Review Board and the Planning Board, and as a trustee, deputy mayor, and, since 2008, as mayor.
“I’m really proud to have served the village for so long,” Carillo said.
He added that his proudest moments in public service include being the first village to have the New York state Department of Transportation enter into a memorandum of understanding to preserve the vegetation and limit any construction or improvements between the roadbed of the Long Island Expressway and its service roads, as well as arranging for free pickup of branches for residents following Superstorm Sandy in 2012, at a cost to the village of $2 million.
“That was worth every penny,” Carillo said.
Altogether, though, he’s proud to have worked with “really helpful and collaborative” people on the Board of Trustees.
“We have a really good, collaborative team of support,” Carillo said. “Everyone likes each other and we all want to do the best we can for the residents, because you really have to serve.”
In addition to serving as mayor of Old Westbury, Carillo owns, builds with and manages Carco Builders Corp., a Jericho-based commercial real estate development company with properties in Nassau County, Suffolk County, Brooklyn and Queens. As a result of the over 30 years he has spent in construction, the Garden City Chamber of Commerce named him Businessperson of the Year in 2020.
Twenty-five of those properties will take up the majority of Carillo’s time once he leaves office, he said.
“I’ve got employees with me for close to 30 years,” Carillo said. “I treat them well, and they love coming to work. They’ve often said they’d rather come to work instead of stay home!”
Carillo, 77, said he grew up in East Williston and graduated from the East Williston school district, as did his wife of nearly 54 years, Marie, and his two children. Carillo also earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from Husson University in Bangor, Maine, and is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps.
In his spare time, he is a “proud grandfather” of six, as well as an avid golfer at the Wheatley Hills Golf Club in East Williston, where he served three terms as president.
In the Sept. 15 elections, Trustee Edward Novick is running unopposed to succeed Carillo as mayor. Carillo said he supports Novick’s candidacy, and he may stay on as a consultant to the village.
“I believe in community service, I really do,” Carillo said.
