The position of Great Neck Village Justice is the only contested election on the Great Neck Penninsula.
I believe I deserve to be re-elected as Great Neck Village Justice. Thirty years ago I started my involvement with the village when I was appointed a commissioner of the Great Neck Senior Housing Authority, which is responsible for all aspects of managing the residential building located on the corner of Middle Neck Road and Arrandale Avenue.
In this role I interacted with local and federal officials, advocating for the needs of the residents while considering the constraints of funding sources. During this time I was appointed to the Board of Zoning and Appeals and served in both of these village roles until the Board of Trustees of the village found a qualified successor as commissioner.
After some years as a member, I was appointed chairman of the BZA. After serving as chairman of the BZA for many years, in 2002 I was asked to run for Village Trustee.
First elected in 2002, I was re-elected in 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010 and 2012. In 2003 I was appointed by the mayor and Board of Trustees to be Nassau County Police Department liaison and Public Safety commissioner.
In 2004 I was appointed to also be the Great Neck Police Commissioner, serving in these roles until I decided to run for village justice in 2013 and I was re-elected in 2017.
When I was first elected to be village justice I was motivated to change the perception of the court to be a place where every person who appeared was treated with respect and dignity and walked away with a feeling that they were treated fairly.
I have insisted on that since the very first day, and believe that our residents and other who appear before me would agree. My background in serving in the various roles prior to becoming a judge had given me the knowledge and experience to understand and be able to render fair decisions, with the safety of the community always in the forefront.
Since becoming village judge, I have overhauled our court, and reduced waste and expenditures, resulting in cost reductions of 25 percent over the last seven years.
Professionally I am a practicing attorney, with my offices located in Great Neck and have served as the general counsel (a volunteer position) to the Great Neck Chamber of Commerce for over fifteen years. I am a member in good standing to the New York State Bar (admitted 1977) and the Florida Bar(admitted 1978).
I, along with my wife Ellen Birnbaum have lived in the Village of Great Neck for thirty-eight years. I am an active member of Temple Israel and have served in a variety of leadership positions over the years, including president of the couples club, chairman of the catering committee, trustee, vice president and first vice president.
It has been an honor to serve the people of the Village of Great Neck for over 30 years and given the opportunity to continue to serve for another four years as the Village Justice. Please vote for me, Mark K. Birnbaum, for village justice on June 15, under the “Good Neighbor Party”.
Mark Birnbaum
Village of Great Neck
