Locals vie for sanitary commish

Community activist Ralph Rose, a lifelong Baldwin resident, is challenging another local man, incumbent LeRoy Roberts, in the race for sanitation commissioner of District 2.

The district, which encompasses the hamlets of Baldwin, Roosevelt and South Hempstead and parts of Freeport, Rockville Centre and Uniondale, services approximately 55,000 residents and makes nearly 17,000 stops on its collection routes around the area. It has an operating budget for 2011 of over $11 million.

Though other candidates had until Monday to announce their intentions, Roberts and Rose had no other challengers as the Herald went to press. The election will be held on Thursday, July 28, from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m., at the Sanitary District No. 2 building, at 2080 Grand Ave. in Baldwin; at Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, at 196 Centennial Ave. in Roosevelt; and at the Covert School, at Long Beach Road and Willow Street in South Hempstead.

Incumbent: LeRoy W. Roberts

Sitting Commissioner LeRoy Roberts has been involved with Sanitation District 2 for 30 years, the last 10 as commissioner. Roberts said that his from-the-ground-up knowledge of sanitation procedures is his major qualification, and he cited the time he has spent working both “on the trucks and in the shop” as well as his knowledge of budget and contract negotiations and equipment purchasing. He is a member and past director of the

L.I. Sanitation Officials Association.

Roberts was also the football coach at Baldwin High School for 20 years. He has lived in Baldwin for 45 years and raised four children here. He is an usher at St. Christopher’s Church and also conducts a youth lacrosse program. “This is my community,” he told the Herald. “I live here and because I worked here, I know what goes on in the district. My goal will be and has always been to provide outstanding service while keeping costs low for the community.”

Challenger: Ralph Rose

Rose claims over 37 years of sanitation experience with the Town of Hempstead. He says he has a thorough knowledge of solid waste management, including mechanical and administrative expertise, and he promised to make accountability a hallmark of his term if elected.

Rose cited a strong belief in community service as one of his main qualifications, and pointed to his record as a 28-year member of the Baldwin Volunteer Fire Department, his co-presidency of the Chamber of Commerce and his past presidency of the Kiwanis Club as proof of his commitment to those ideals.

Asked why he was running, he said, “I believe this department could be run more efficiently. You look around Baldwin and it doesn’t look nice. I believe I could run the department better and at a lower cost.”

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