Two Oceanside Sanitation commissioners’ oath of office in question

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It seemed to be Austin Graff, co-chairman of the Board of Commissioners in the Oceanside Sanitation Department, and his lawyer against the world Jan. 19 in Mineola Supreme Court.

Arguing in front of Judge Conrad Singer, Graff, the plaintiff, represented himself in claiming that Patrick Doherty and Sheryl Beckman’s sanitation commissioners’ oath of office are not valid because they were not filed within 30 days.

Graff also claimed that neither  should qualify for a stipend and health benefits using taxpayer money because of the illegitimacy of their positions on the board.

John Sarcone, who represented Doherty and Beckman in the matter, argued that Graff’s petition had no standing because, as a resident of Oceanside “he has suffered no harm different than any other resident and therefore . . . has no standing to challenge this proceeding” and “similarly suffered no harm as a commissioner.” 

Graff contested that as a taxpayer, homeowner and voter sitting on the Board of Commissioners, he does have standing because Doherty and Beckman are simply breaking the law.

And that it is causing undue delay and undue distress in the Sanitation District, as he wrote in his initial petition.

Singer explained to both sides that those who lost the seat in the election have standing, and asked if those people were challenging the decision. “They’re not an issue,” Graff said.

“It's in the best interest of the Oceanside Sanitation District that the people who are elected follow the law, follow the Constitution,” Graff argued, “They did not follow the law. They did not follow the Constitution by not filing the oath of office.” He added that they,“are not commissioners.”

As of press time, no decision had been made in the matter.