Malverne's trustee candidates speak to residents before March 16 election

Polls will be open for the Village of Malverne election on March 16.

Heading the campaign for the Independent Party is Deputy Mayor Perry Cuocci, who is running alongside former Deputy Mayor Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick. Lifelong Malvernite Lori Lang is the Hometown Pride Party candidate.

Two trustee seats are open, as Jack O’Brien, a village trustee for the past 12 years, chose not to seek re-election.

Voters had the chance to learn about candidates from both parties during Meet the Candidates Night, hosted by the Malverne Civic Association, on March 2. The forum was streamed on Malverne TV. Here is a closer look at all of the candidates:

Cuocci, 56, was first elected in 2017, after having been appointed by then Mayor Patti Ann McDonald. In addition to acting as board liaison to the Nassau County Office of Emergency Management and the Malverne Chamber of Commerce, Cuocci is a long-serving officer of the Malverne Volunteer Ambulance Corps. Following a 20-year career with the FBI, he recently joined the security department of Con Edison.

Cuocci spoke about the financial impact the coronavirus pandemic had on the village due to the temporary closure of the village courts. He said that the village has since taken steps to reopen the courts and to reduce spending by each village department. In addition, the village board is currently conducting a village-wide project to change street lights to LED lights to save energy and costs.

“We have a board that doesn’t always agree,” Cuocci said, “but [we] have a healthy respect for one another to discuss issues and work through disagreements for the betterment of Malverne and our residents.”

A certified public accountant and a partner in the law firm Canzoneri & Canzoneri, Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, 55, said she hoped that her financial and municipal experience would be an asset for the village board. She was a member of the Nassau County Sewer and Storm Water Finance Authority and served as a village trustee under McDonald from 2011 to 2018. As a trustee, Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick held the positions of police and fire commissioner, in addition to youth board and merchants liaison. In November she challenged State Assemblywoman Judy Griffin for her seat in the 21st District, but lost a close race.

Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick said she recognizes that the village’s challenges are tough, but she hopes to guide residents through this, if elected. “Right now, things are hard financially . . . and unfortunately, they are likely to remain difficult for the foreseeable future,” Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick said. “To get us through these challenging times, we need knowledge and dedication. We need experience and strong personal relationships.”

Lang, 47, runs her own business, Simplify Home Organization & Design, in Malverne. She has been involved in fundraisers and drives in the community since she was a teenager, when she became a member of the village youth board at age 14. Last March, she and her sister, Bridget Jelovcic, launched the group Malverne Feeding Our Heroes, collecting donations to send food to groups of first responders, volunteers and essential workers throughout the village.

If elected, Lang said she hopes to expand on the mission of Feeding Our Heroes by creating a business development committee. She noted that some businesses were forced to close amid the pandemic over the past year.

“We would utilize the skills of volunteer professionals in the village to revitalize our shopping district and continue to support our merchants,” Lang said. “The Hometown Pride Party is committed to preserving this village and maintaining the quality of life and the services we all love. We, too, are a group of residents with a proven track record of experience, leadership and integrity.”

Candidates also urged residents to vote as votership was low in recent elections. To view the full forum, go to https://vimeo.com/malvernetv.