By Angela Marshall and Jennifer Marino
Of the six candidates vying for the two open village trustee positions, incumbent Wayne Lipton garnered the most votes with 1,882. He was closely followed by runningmate Jim Sutton who had 1,802.
But it was not candidates from Home Rule's longstanding competitor, the Concerned Citizens Party, biting at its heals. Residents' Voice candidates, John Mirando and Jeanne Mulry, took third and fourth respectively with 1,111 and 1,062 votes.
With almost less than half the votes of their nearest competitor, Concerned Citizen's candidates came in last. Former Rockville Centre Public Library Board trustee Elizabeth Krol received 588 votes and village newcomer Robert Weaver 625.
Before the election, many speculated whether the creation of the Residents' Voice Party would take away from the Concerned Citizens' constituency, which has long been centered in the Middle Village and South Side sections.
The Residents' Voice Party was formed by South Side residents angered by the village's new school placement laws, which allow private schools to be developed in residential areas. They said the current board failed to listen to their concerns.
The loss is a blow to the Concerned Citizens Party, which has been trying to recapture the board's majority since Jim Farrell lost to Lipton in 1999. In addition to the three Home Rule candidates elected Tuesday, there are two Concerned Citizen members on the board, Mary Bossart and Greg Rinn.
Approximately, 3,500 of the village's 17,186 registered voters made it to the polls, down 647 from the last trustee election in 2001.
At a celebration party following the election, Murray, who received 2,805 votes, said, It was a great victory. He thanked residents for their vote of confidence.
Murray said Lipton and Sutton worked hard and put out a good message that voters agreed with.
We were really humbled by the response, said Lipton.
Lipton said he was surprised that Weaver did not do better, saying he thought the Concerned Citizens' candidate had worked very hard.
Judge Robert Williams was re-elected village justice with 1,768 votes.
All returns were unofficial at press time.
