By TIFFANY RAZZANO
This was the final meeting of the board's current lineup - Mayor Eugene Murray and Deputy Mayor Wayne Lipton of the Home Rule party, and trustees Andrew Karamouzis, Jeanne Mulry and Suzanne Sullivan of Residents' Voice - and it marked the beginning of major changes in village government.
Murray, the mayor for 20 years, will be stepping down, as will eight-year Trustee Lipton and Sullivan, a trustee for only a year, who lost her seat in the June 19 election.
A new majority will take over, as Mayor-Elect Mary Bossart and trustees-elect David Krasula and Charles Joyce of the Concerned Citizens party prepare to take their seats on the board on July 2. Karamouzis and Mulry will remain trustees on the board. The annual organizational meeting, at which all will be sworn in, is set for July 9.
Concerned Citizens easily captured the majority from Residents' Voice, which held it for the past year. Bossart defeated Karamouzis, who ran against her for mayor, 3,049 votes to 2,163, a margin that surprised even Bossart. In fact, of all six candidates vying for positions on the board, Karamouzis received the fewest votes. His running mates, Ralph Bumbaca, with 2,253 votes, and Sullivan, with 2,415, were defeated by Joyce and Krasula, with 2,874 and 2,797 votes, respectively.
"I wasn't surprised about the size of the turnout," Bossart said. "In the past, [turnouts for] mayoral elections have been pretty high, around that 5,000 range, plus or minus some. As for the margin, I was mostly surprised it was that large because generally everyone runs more closely."
"I think the positive campaign that we ran, focusing on the issues and what we would try to accomplish, resonated with the voters," said Joyce, who also expressed surprise at the margin, as did Krasula. "We're thankful for the majority of people who placed their confidence in Mary, Dave and myself and believe that we'll be able to bring civility back to the board and get some things accomplished."
Bossart said she thought there were several factors that contributed not just to Concerned Citizens taking the election, but also to the party's margin. "I think each person's style in working and how they presented themselves played a role in how voters perceived them," she said. "I think they felt that we had an important level of experience and the skills for negotiating difficult subjects, and that was what persuaded them to vote for us."
"I think another factor was that Mary, Chuck and I have all been so involved in the village over the course of our lives here, in so many different ways, that a lot of people have come to know and respect us," Krasula said. "That also helped in getting a lot of people out [to vote]."
Bossart and Krasula both said that party members campaigned tirelessly, spending a lot of time at the train station and walking every street in the village, greeting residents. "We met a lot of people," Krasula said. "I think those personal contacts really helped familiarize people with who we are and what we want to try to accomplish."
"It makes it more personal for people when they meet you and get to look you in the eye," Joyce added. "... I think that had an impact on the people."
Residents' reactions were mixed. "The results were excellent," said Kay Dryoff. "I think they'll do very well."
"I'm glad Concerned Citizens won," said a resident who did not want to be named. "They'll bring stabilization back to the board. I just hope [the two parties] can interact well together."
Gina Riordan felt otherwise, saying she didn't know much about Concerned Citizens and that she was disappointed Sullivan was not re-elected. "In terms of what [Sullivan has] done with Residents' Voice over the past year, and what she could have done in the future, we're disappointed," she said. "She's a terrific person ..."
Another resident who declined to be identified said he was very upset by the results. "I wish Rockville Centre the best," he said. "It's going to need it."
Others had mixed feelings. "I don't know if there is any right person for the job [of mayor]," said a resident who also requested anonymity. "There's too much politics in this village ... I don't think it's run efficiently. [It's] a club."
Concerned Citizens, which pledged to bring civility back to the village board after a year of tension between Residents' Voice and Home Rule, is optimistic that the two parties will be able to work together. "I expect everyone to behave professionally," Bossart said. "That's what we're there for. I expect good discussion on each of the issues in front of us. In some cases there will be agreement, and on others we'll each have our say and come to some consensus on the issue. But I'm very optimistic, I really am."
"We've got to work together," Krasula said. "That's all there is to it. This isn't about us, and it isn't about Residents' Voice. It's about the village."
Neither Karamouzis, Bumbaca nor Sullivan responded to requests for comment, but Mulry said she is optimistic about working with the new board members. "Watching the campaigns, I was very impressed by the energy, dedication and diverse talents from all the candidates, and I thank all the candidates for their willingness to serve," Mulry said. "In the end, I think the voters were persuaded by Mary Bossart's years of service to our community, as a trustee and as a community leader. I respect our new mayor for her demonstrated involvement and concern, and I look forward to working together with Mary, Chuck and Dave for the good of Rockville Centre."
Concerned Citizens and Resident's Voice had similar platforms on many issues, including the often-debated topics of parking and development in the village. Both said they were interested in curbing development in commercial districts. In fact, Bossart said that one of her first orders of business would be to repeal Local Law 2, passed in 2003, which permitted multifamily developments in the downtown area. It is one of a trio of laws concerning multifamily developments.
Concerned Citizens also hopes to fill three positions as soon as possible: village attorney, village administrator and superintendent of the Building Department. "We've got to get these critical village leadership posts filled," Krasula said. "We've got to get restarted on the zoning recodification, and there are positions that have to be filled on the planning and zoning boards. There's a lot to be done."
Comments about this story? TRazzano@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 221.
