The Williston Park Board of Trustees voted during a work session on Monday night to hold the board’s March 20 election at Village Hall from noon to 9 p.m.
The vote was 3-1, with Mayor Paul Ehrbar, Trustee Michael Uttaro and Deputy Mayor Kevin Rynne voting yes.
Trustee Teresa Thomann voted no.
“We want to encourage participation and this facility is not conducive to participation,” Thomann said.
She added that the area surrounding the Village Hall is hectic, congested with traffic and difficult to park near.
She suggested the village use the American Legion facility, which she said was used in past years.
Village Clerk Julie Kain said that all elections are at Village Hall now. Even voting for the last presidential election was held at Village Hall, Kain said.
Thomann said she did not like having voting at Village Hall for other elections, and she does not like the idea of having it there for the coming board election either.
Two of the four trustees’ terms will end this year, along with Ehrbar’s term as mayor, according to Kain.
Thomann’s term and Rynne’s term will end this year.
Rynne and Ehrbar are seeking re-election, while Thomann said she is not running again.
Previously, two contenders publicly announced their bids to join the board.
Williston Park Fire Chief Richard Sais announced he was running in October. Sais’ two-year term as fire chief will end in April.
Bill O’Brien, a town native, announced his intentions to run in December.
During the work session the board also voted unanimously to accept that Kain will choose nine people to assist with voting on Election Day based on a list of 28 people supplied by the Board of Elections.
