Three candidates are challenging Manorhaven’s mayor and two of its trustees in an election June 18, with the trio running on a platform to foster greater transparency in the village’s government.

Trustee Jeff Stone is running against Mayor John Popeleski for the mayoral seat.

Residents Nancy Rozakis and Robert Swerdlow are running against Trustee Monica Ildefonso and Deputy Mayor Harry Farina.

Stone, Rozakis and Swerdlow are all running under the Manorhaven Residents Party.

“We’re just committed to our community and to improving the quality of life for the people that have been here and make up the strength of the community,” Rozakis said.

Residents will be able to vote for one of the two mayoral candidates and any two of the four trustee candidates.

Stone and Popeleski have clashed over transparency in the village, with Stone calling for more and Popeleski touting what he called the village’s most transparent government.

Popeleski joined the board as a trustee in 2016 and was elected mayor in 2022.

He said he is seeking another term as mayor to continue the projects he has been working on and bring some to fruition.

Stone, a local mental health and substance abuse advocate and a licensed real estate agent, was elected to the board as a trustee in June 2023.

He said he is running for mayor to establish an open and transparent government, rebuild fiscal responsibility and foster integrity and honesty through “clear and strong government.”

Ildefonso, a Manorhaven resident of more than 35 years, is running for her second term on the Board of Trustees. She was first elected in 2022 alongside Popeleski and Farina under The People’s Working Party.

She also serves as a trustee for the Chilean Charity of America, a role she’s been in for 10 years, and has been a leader of the Spanish-speaking community. She is also a 36-year-long trustee of the Port Washington Community Action Center.

In an email, Ildefonso said she is running for another term to maintain what the board has accomplished.

As trustee for Manorhaven, Ildefonso is also the village’s representative at Port Washington Business Improvement District meetings.

Ildefonso described herself as a liaison between the village and the Spanish-speaking community, saying she is looking forward to continuing to serve Manorhaven.

Farina is running for his third term on the board. He was first elected to the board in 2020.

Efforts to reach Farina were unavailing.

Rozakis has been a 32-year resident of Port Washington but moved into Manorhaven last summer.

A band leader and jazz musician, Rozakis also performs under her stage name “Nancy Valentine.”

She described herself as a troubleshooter who is seeking to tackle various issues in the village. She said her bid for trustee is inspired by an aspiration to perform a good deed and serve the community.

“I felt that I had to do something,” Rozakis said.

One issue Rozakis identified is a lack of integrity and honesty in the Village Hall.

She provided an example of this issue in the development of large projects in the village, saying many times residents are not informed until after their approval.

Rozakis said this issue can be addressed through the formation of committees for residents to engage with the village government more.

She said this would lead to a more informative and transparent village government, championing the unheard residents.

Rozakis said there is a sense of helplessness in the community, something she said she, too, has experienced and a feeling that they are left out of the village’s development.

Another platform Rozakis is campaigning on is responsible budgeting to ensure taxes are used “wisely” by the village.

“The idea of Manorhaven, of Port Washington, is to nurture the family spirit and it’s been very difficult for families to stay here with the rising rates of rent and purchasing of homes,” Rozakis said.

Swerdlow, a client services specialist in the audio/video technology industry, has been a Manorhaven resident for more than seven years.

He has served as a volunteer baseball coach and commissioner and sat on the Board of Directors for Three Village Baseball and Softball.

According to the Manorhaven Residents Party campaign card, Swerdlow is also a supporter of open government and transparency for the benefit of residents. It states he is “committed to helping all residents have a voice in Manorhaven, including rental communities.”

Efforts to reach Swerdlow were unavailing.

The Village of Manorhaven will hold the election from 6 a.m. until 9 p.m. June 18. Polling will occur at Village Hall, 33 Manorhaven Blvd.