Another Rockville Centre resident throws his hat in the ring

Michael J. Leboff, a 20-year-old junior at Sacred Heart University, signaled his intent to run for mayor of Rockville Centre on Monday when a family member went to Village Hall to get an election information packet for him and a link to a website for downloading nominating petitions and financial forms.

Leboff, a media studies major who was born and raised in the village, says he plans to run as an independent in the June 21 village election. He will compete against Francis X. Murray, who threw his hat into the ring several weeks ago and introduced running mates Nancy Howard and Michael Sepe on the new RVC United Party, and Mayor Mary Bossart, who is expected to announce that she will run for a second term on the Concerned Citizens line, along with Trustee David Krasula and a second candidate who has not yet been identified.

Although he has no political experience, Leboff serves as advisor to the vice president of the Senate at Sacred Heart. “I figured … it’s almost a why-not thing,” he said of his candidacy. “When I started to think about it, [the village] can get a bit suffocating, dull, uptight. The kicker was when an elderly man got a ticket for putting his garbage out too early. I decided I can definitely help things out a bit here.” Leboff added that, if elected, he would remain in the village and not return to college next year.

“I am dedicated not just to the people of Rockville Centre, but [to the] country,” he said. “Though I’m just 20 years old, I encourage all voters to judge me not by my age or lack of experience, but [by] my platform.” The major planks of his platform include fiscal responsibility, dedication to village employees and encouraging citizen engagement.

Balancing the budget in these tight times is Leboff’s No. 1 priority, according to his communications director and chief of staff, Andrew Schustek, a senior political science major at SUNY Binghamton. “We will find waste and we will destroy it,” said Schustek. “Backroom politicking is over on Long Island.”

“I will say this now and I’ll say it until I’m blue in the face,” said Leboff. “Teachers, cops, firemen and all other village employees will not see budget cuts in their given sectors. Period.