Ed Fare running for mayor of Valley Stream

Running for mayor wasn’t an overnight decision for Ed Fare. The third-generation Valley Stream resident said seeking the village’s highest office is something he has wanted to do for many years, and this year the opportunity presented itself.

“I have no intention of seeking higher office,” Fare said about his commitment to Valley Stream. “Mayor is the job I want to have.”

Fare has served as a trustee on the village board for the past seven years. He was elected in 2004 on the United Community Party ticket and re-elected by a large margin in 2008. He said his experience on the board has given him the understanding of how the village operation works and who is responsible for what.

In those seven years, Fare said he learned a lot from the veteran members of the village board, including late Mayor Ed Cahill, late Deputy Mayor Guido Cirenza and former trustee Richard Coffman, his running mate in 2004. “I believe I’ve learned something new everyday,” he said. “I want to take that knowledge and apply it to the mayor’s job.”

Fare attributes the accomplishments of the village board over the past seven years to Cahill and his leadership. It was important to Cahill to be fiscally conservative and keep tax increases to a minimum, Fare said. He and his running mates for village board, Vincent Grasso and Dermond Thomas, have made a tax freeze one of their platforms.

Additionally, Cahill led the way in improving village roads, which Fare said he and the rest of the board supported. Fare said it is impossible to fix all 90 miles of village roads at once, with a cost of about $1 million per mile, but the board made sure to set aside a few million dollars each year to repave the worst streets.

Fare said he is running for mayor because he wants to do right by the people of Valley Stream. He said this would be a continuation of his service to the village, which includes volunteering with the Valley Stream Fire Department, and serving as a member of the Civilian Patrol, Chamber of Commerce and chairman of the board of the Historical Society.