The Village of Great Neck Plaza’s mayoral race headlines the peninsula’s slate of elections that will take place on Tuesday.
Plaza Mayor Ted Rosen and the United Residents Party are running for re-election against mayoral challenger Leonard Katz and the Revive Great Neck Plaza Party.
Rosen, a practicing lawyer, was first appointed to the Board of Trustees in 1985 and previously served as the village’s deputy mayor before defeating Katz in the 2020 election. Rosen is running on the United Residents Party line with Deputy Mayor Pamela Marksheid and Trustee Michael Deluccia.
Rosen reflected on his mayoral tenure in a press release announcing the launch of the party’s re-election campaign.
“We have made tremendous progress in addressing major issues and challenges faced by local government today,” Rosen said. “We have focused on improving the downtown vitality of our Village by taking significant steps to attract new businesses to our Village and to provide important support to the existing businesses to help them succeed and continue in business.”
Katz, a Great Neck resident since 1971, is running for mayor under the Revive Great Neck Plaza Party banner along with Jason Hertz and Ruomei Hu for trustee positions.
Katz said he has become “disillusioned with the results of the policies” that have been implemented by the current administration and stressed the need to have new faces and fresh ideas in the village government.
“There needs to be a new energy that comes with new people involved in government because we live in a dynamic society and new times require new, fresh, innovative, and creative ideas,” Katz said. “Our campaign is absolutely set on addressing the issue of term limits, too. We have had administration officials in office, seemingly in perpetuity, for far too long.”
The election will take place at Village Hall, Gussack Plaza, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Village of Thomaston Trustees To-On Pang and James Sharkey are not running for re-election, with four residents seeking to fill those two seats on the board.
Village residents Nick Toumbekis and Karen Lynne Siegel are running on the Good Neighbors Party line. They are running in an at-large election against Aaron S. Halpern and Jay W. Chagrin, who are running on the Honest Neighbors Party line.
“I pledge to work for responsive and respectful governance, balancing the needs and aspirations of our village community with fiscal and social priorities; while enhancing Thomaston’s exceptional quality of life for all our residents,” Siegel said in a statement.
“If elected, I pledge to listen to the voices and interests of the community, and stand up to those who seek to undermine the community and environment that we all value and enjoy,” Halpern said in a letter to Blank Slate Media. “I will also work to enhance the quality of life of our residents and community while exercising fiscal responsibility.”
“I feel that I will bring a unique vision to the Board of Trustees,” Chagrin said in a letter. “Serving the Public’s interest will always be paramount. I will now have the time to devote to Public Service which is something I have wanted to do for many years.”
No statement was available from Toumbekis.
The election will take place at the Manhasset-Lakeville Firehouse, 25 Prospect St., from noon to 9 p.m.
Village of Russell Gardens Trustees Lawrence Chaleff and Matthew Ellis are running unopposed for re-election to their seats for four-year terms. Village Justice Edward Goodman is running unopposed for re-election, also for a four-year term.
The election will take place at Village Hall, 6 Train Drive, from noon to 9 p.m.
The villages of Great Neck Estates and Saddle Rock are not holding any elections this year, while the villages of Great Neck, Kings Point and Lake Success hold their elections in June.
