By:Andrew Coen
Simao, who lost a race for trustee last year, is challenging incumbents Sam Mevorach and Deputy Mayor Janice Goorland of the Integrity Party in the June 15 at-large election, in which the top two vote-getters will win seats on the Board of Trustees.
Simao, who is running on the Beach Party platform for the second straight year, said the protest is an attempt to persuade her to drop out of the race. She explained that she thinks her petition is being protested to ensure that the board has only Integrity Party members, since her opponents, Mevorach and Goorland, are also members of the party, along with Atlantic Beach Mayor Stephen Mahler.
I don-t know why these people are so afraid of one person challenging them for the board, said Simao. To me, it seems like just a big waste of time, because why can-t they just let the people choose rather than having to go through the courts to get me out [of the race]? I-m not going to drop out for the principle of it.
Mahler, who is running unopposed for his fifth term, said the protest is simple procedure after any filing deadline, since the village clerk does not have discretion to rule on it if the required number of signatures were obtained.
There are rules and regulations for getting on the ballot, and if you don-t follow the rules and regulations, you get knocked off the ballot, said Mahler. Every voter has the right to protest. It is the duty of other people to make sure the candidate has properly filed.
Radow said that among some of the signatures in question are those of people who signed their name twice, people serving as their witnesses and people who live in the unincorporated part of Atlantic Beach. If [Simao] ran the village the way she files a petition, it would be one hell of a place, he said.
In addition to challenging the number of signatures, Radow is also protesting that Simao is not a registered voter.
Candidates are given 60 days to gather the necessary signatures, but according to Simao, since she fractured her foot and was on crutches, she obtained the necessary signatures in the final two days before the May 11 filing deadline.
According to Eleanor Sciglibaglio, deputy commissioner of the Nassau County Board of Elections, a decision will likely be rendered by the end of the week regarding the validity of Simao-s petition.
After last year-s petitions were protested in Nassau County Supreme Court, Judge Robert Roberto Jr. and the Nassau County Board of Elections both ruled that Simao and fellow Beach Party member David Finkel could remain on the ballot. Simao had 52 of her 132 signatures invalidated by the Board of Elections, but the Supreme Court said that, at most, 16 could be thrown out, which would have left her with 54 and still eligible to be on the ballot.
The candidates
Mevorach and Goorland have been on the board since winning in 2000 and are both bidding for third terms in the at-large contest against Simao.
Mevorach said he is proud to have been a part of the rebuilding of the village-s infrastructure without overly taxing the residents, and said he would like to work on improving all of the village roads that are in disrepair if he is re-elected.
It is my feeling that the mayor and the Board of Trustees, as presently constituted, have performed as a smoothly running, efficient team that has accomplished much for our residents and will do more in the near future to maintain the village as a great place to live, said Mevorach.
He has been involved in all aspects of Atlantic Beach-s sanitation department and beach operation.
Goorland, Atlantic Beach-s deputy mayor, said she is happy with the work done on the village-s infrastructure as well as the rebuilt village hall, and getting townhouses built on the former AJ-s and KO-s Restaurant properties in her first term. Like Mevoarch and Mahler, Goorland wants to see more work done on the village roads in her next term, and said she likes the fact that the board is on the same page on that issue and many others.
It is truly a pleasure to work with this board in harmony and unity, said Goorland. My feelings for the village are strong and deep, and if re-elected I will continue to serve the people for the people.
Simao ran on the Beach Party platform with David Finkel last year, losing to incumbent trustees Richard Mangone and Andrew Rubin, falling 111 votes short of victory with 218. She said that since the current trustees are all from the same party, some opposition would be healthy for the village government.
People keep saying to me that we need another voice on the board, said Simao. There is much discussion between the current trustees [that they] are all on the same page, but it-s not always the right one. A watchdog for government is good for government.
Mahler said his goal for his next term is to improve the conditions of the village-s roads.
The Atlantic Beach Village elections will be held on Tuesday, June 15, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., at Atlantic Beach Village Hall.
