Ehrbar and team defeat fire chief, ex chief in Williston Park election

Rebecca Klar
Williston Park voters re-elected Mayor Paul Ehrbar and Trustee Kevin Rynne, as well as elected newcomer Bill O'Brien in Tuesday's election. (File photos)

Williston Park Mayor Paul Ehrbar was elected to his third four-year term on Tuesday when he beat former Fire Chief Anthony Gagliardi by 410 votes.

In a three-way race for two trustee spots, Trustee Kevin Rynne was re-elected and newcomer Bill O’Brien was elected. Rynne, O’Brien and Ehrbar all ran on the Integrity Party ticket.

Efforts to reach O’Brien were unavailing.

Williston Park Fire Chief Richard Sais lost his bid for a spot on the Board of Trustees, winning 341 votes to Rynne’s 846 and O’Brien’s 800.

Sais said he wouldn’t rule out the possibility of running again.

He added that while his fire chief term ends in two weeks, he looks forward to continuing to serve his community as a firefighter.

Efforts to reach Ehrbar and Gagliardi were unavailing.

Village Justice Kevin Kiley, who ran unopposed, also on the Integrity Party ticket, won with 957 votes.

This is the first time O’Brien, who works at NBC in the Global Response and Intelligence Division, decided to give local politics a try, but he has been an active member in the village community for years.

He coaches his children in sports at Saint Aidan’s School and has coached baseball and softball for the Williston Park Little League.

He has served as vice president of Williston Park Little League for the last five years

“I thought the natural transition would be to move into government and see if I can help the town by being a trustee,” O’Brien previously told Blank Slate Media.

In addition to Ehrbar’s eight years as mayor he has also served  as a member of the Herricks Board of Education.

In addition to serving as mayor, Ehrbar currently serves as Herricks Community Fund co-president, where he oversees the Youth Council, Alzheimer’s Day Program and Community Players, a position he has held since 2007.

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