Cools, Major seek Sani2 seat

The annual election for a commissioner’s seat on the board of Sanitary District 2 was scheduled for Thursday, July 26, from 2 to 10 p.m. Sanitary District 2 serves the hamlets of Baldwin, Roosevelt, South Hempstead and parts of Uniondale, Rockville Centre and Freeport. Residents of each neighborhood must vote in the area where they live. Baldwin voting will be conducted in the Sani2 offices at 2080 Grand Ave.

The candidates for the seat this year are the two-term incumbent, John Cools, and challenger James Major.

Incumbent John Cools

A two term, 10-year commissioner with Sanitary District 2, Cools is currently the chairman of the Board of Commissioners. A fourth-generation Baldwin resident whose family moved to the hamlet in 1923, Cools is a 1981 BHS graduate who began his career with Sani2 as a mechanic. Cools says he learned the system at Sani2 from the ground up and cites as two of his premier accomplishments the revamping of the recycling system and a restructuring of trash routes, which he says streamlined collections. He says he and his fellow board members are united and are moving in a common direction, and he pledges to improve service while controlling costs if re-elected.

Challenger James Major

A lifelong Roosevelt resident, Major has worked for the New York City government for more than 20 years. He holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology and finance from Adelphi University and works in the finance department of the New York Housing Authority. Major’s campaign is motivated by the desire to see increased diversity on the board of Sani2. He also wants to help generate sound budgets and increase communication between residents and the sanitation department. He says the board should consist of “a representative from each town, so all voices can be heard,” and that he would be an open, fiscally responsible commissioner. Major said he hoped to be a force for positive change in the election and for the

residents of Sanitary District 2.