O’side Sanitation to define eligible voters

The Oceanside Sanitation District No. 7 is seeking to change who is eligible to vote in its district elections. Some members of the Board of Directors want to limit those eligible to property owners only.

According to Board attorney Jared Kasschau such a move may be legal based on the Nassau County Civil Divisions Act written in 1939. The act states “Only persons who are residents of the district and who were assessed for real property within the district on the last preceding county assessment role shall be entitled to vote.”

The act states the election shall be held on the third Thursday in June. “At the annual election voters qualified as for such first election shall elect a commission for a full term of five years to succeed the commissioner whose term has expired.”

Kasschau also noted the District by-laws, which were written in 1976, are in need of updating.

The Board wants to be sure the District would be acting legally, not “impinging on voters’ rights” one way or the other; either by disenfranchising voters or by diluting the electorate.

Kasschau has written to the Nassau County Attorney and the State Comptroller seeking their opinion before any action is taken.