August/September 2018

NCVOA AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2018 NEWSLETTER

Published by the Nassau County Village Officials Association

Post Office Box 231239, Great Neck, NY 11023

Tele: 516-437-1455     Fax: 516-437-1456

Make Your Reservation Now for the

September 20, 2018 Annual Testimonial Dinner

The Honorable Robert T. Kennedy, Mayor of the Village of Freeport and NCVOA immediate past president, will be honored at the 93rd NCVOA Annual Testimonial  Dinner Gala.

This year’s event will be held on  Thursday, September 20, 2018 at the Westbury Manor in Westbury, NY. The cocktail reception begins at 6:30 pm, followed by the dinner and program at 8 pm.

All villages are encouraged to join other elected officials and guests in recognizing Mayor Kennedy’s contributions as NCVOA President from 2017-2018. Reservation and journal ad forms have been sent to all villages.

Please contact Warren Tackenberg, executive director emeritus, at exmayortac@gmail.com with any questions.

We look forward to seeing you, your village officials and guests on September 20, 2018.

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From the President’s Desk:

Dear Mayors, Trustees and Friends:      

I would like to express my appreciation to the entire membership for electing me president for 2018-2019. It is a privilege and responsibility I do not take lightly. I thank Mayor Kennedy for his leadership this past year and look forward to working with the other newly elected officers and Executive Board members as we continue to advance our agenda on behalf of our residents.

Looking Forward               

English writer Thomas Paine once said, “The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.” As I look at the year ahead, I do not believe our conflicts and challenges will diminish. We continue to struggle with the inequitable distribution of sales tax revenue, escalating demands of unfunded mandates, tax cap restrictions, diminished financial support from Albany, and misguided attempts to eliminate local governments. As the most efficient and effective form of local government and the one closest to the people, we must continue to be stalwart advocates for Home Rule, our communities and our residents.

While we continue the fight for our fair share of state and local revenue, there are other issues I believe we need to keep at the forefront of our activities for the upcoming year.

1) Strengthen our working relationship with the Suffolk County Village Officials Association (SCVOA) so we can become a more formidable force in addressing pertinent Long Island and state issues; 

2) Continue Mayor Kennedy’s initiative to have the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers install retractable surge barrier gates at Jones Inlet and Reynolds Channel to prevent future storm flooding of superstorm Sandy magnitude;

3) Increase membership of Friends of NCVOA;

4) Enhance the scope of the Executive Board’s quarterly meetings with County Executive Curran to ensure village issues and concerns are being clearly communicated and addressed;

5) Continue to apprise our members of pending legislation in Albany that could impact village operations;

6) Continue our efforts to increase member participation. The NCVOA traditionally has been a force due to the collective strength of our 64 villages. We need the involvement of all villages to maintain our influence with our local and state legislators. I encourage each village to make a commitment to attend our monthly General Membership meetings and respond to requests for action when necessary. Together we will remain a strong voice for our residents.

Thank you, again, for your support. Enjoy your summer!

Mayor Ralph Ekstrand

President  ____________________________________________________________________________________________

 

NCVOA Executive Committee Ready for

the New Year

 

Congratulations to the NCVOA officers elected to serve for 2018-2019:

President

Ralph Ekstrand, Mayor of the Village of Farmingdale

First Vice President

Jean Celender, Mayor of the Village of Great Neck Plaza

Second Vice President

Edward Lieberman, Mayor of the Village of Sea Cliff

Treasurer

Daniel Serota, Mayor of the Village of Brookville

Other members of the Executive Board are immediate past presidents Robert Kennedy, Mayor of the Village of Freeport; Bernie Ryba, Mayor of the Village of Old Brookville; and Barbara Donno, Mayor of the Village of Plandome Manor.

President Ekstrand completed the 2018-2019 Executive Committee by appointing the following: Peter Cavallaro, Mayor of the Village of Westbury;Marvin Natiss, Mayor of the Village of North Hills; David Tanner, Mayor of the Village of East Williston; Nora Haagenson, Mayor of the Village of Baxter Estates; Hilary Becker, Deputy Mayor of the Village of Lynbrook; and Charles Renfroe, Deputy Mayor of the Village of Hempstead.  Non-voting members are Ralph Kreitzman, Executive Director; Warren Tackenberg, Executive Director Emeritus; Gary Fishberg, counsel; and Eric Ricioppo, public information officer.

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Village of Hempstead to Honor Former Mayor James Garner:

Being first is nothing new for Jim Garner. The former four-term Village of Hempstead Mayor and NCVOA Past President (1998-1999) was Long Island’s first African-American mayor, first Long Island village mayor to be elected president of the US. Conference of Mayors, and Nassau County’s first African-American chief deputy comptroller.

His high profile positions have taken him around the world as he traveled in 2002 to Johannesburg, South Africa representing U.S. President George W. Bush as a delegate to the World Summit of Sustainable Development. In 2004 he led a delegation of mayors to Rome and Israel for the 22^nd annual Jerusalem Conference of Mayors.

In recognition of his decades of public service, the Village of Hempstead is renaming a portion of Nicholas Court  James Garner Way.

The official ceremony, which is part of the celebration of the Village of Hempstead’s 375^th anniversary of its settlement, will be held Saturday, September 29, 2018, at 11 am. NCVOA mayors and trustees are invited to attend the event. Details will be sent to each village.

Congratulations to Mayor Garner for a much-deserved tribute to his distinguished public service carrer.

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          NCVOA June 2018 Meeting Attendees