Mahler for Atlantic Beach mayor

Incumbent Stephen Mahler is running for his 10th two-year term as mayor of the Village of Atlantic Beach. He is being challenged by George Pappas, the superintendent of Sanitary District 1, in the only contested election among the villages in and around the Five Towns. All registered voters are eligible to cast their ballots in the election on Tuesday, June 17.
In office since 1996, Mahler has helped shape and improve the village. In 2002, he was at the forefront of Atlantic Beach’s battle to amend the county charter that allowed the village to have its own zoning power and safeguard the existing marine recreational zoning to protect its beaches.
Now in 2014, Mahler has helped manage village finances astutely enough that rating agency Standard & Poors upgraded the village’s bond rating to AA+. The rating measures how well the village can pay its debts.
Pappas has lived in Atlantic Beach about four years less than Mahler has served as mayor. His career trajectory at S.D. 1 is something he should be proud of. He began working on the sanitation trucks in 1992. A decade later, Pappas was promoted to foreman. After a few more promotions he became superintendent in 2012.
Under Pappas, S.D. 1, which collects the trash and recyclables of the Five Towns and portions of the surrounding communities, has become more responsive to its constituency. After Hurricane Sandy, district workers were out in force. At one Village of Lawrence meeting in December 2012 their work prompted sustained applause, which was a huge turnaround from when residents verbally assaulted district officials concerning the quality of service at a Lawrence Association meeting in 2011.
Brimming with energy and ideas, Pappas would be a great addition to the village, but we recommend he run for trustee first, and then seek the mayor’s post in similar fashion to earning the S.D. 1 promotions: Learn more about village government before trying to jump into the top spot.
The village does need road repair and a decision has to be made about what to do with the tennis center. We hope Pappas remains involved and Mahler’s administration gets that done.