Tuesday, Dec. 10 saw elections for commissioner positions in three special districts that cover some portion of the Great Neck Peninsula. When the polls were closed and votes were fully counted, they revealed the incumbents had managed to retain their positions in all three elections.
Incumbent Great Neck Park District Commissioner Frank Cilluffo will serve three more years on the district board after winning the election against challenger Erica Beggs by a final count of 993 votes to 675.
lIn a statement sent to the Great Neck Record following his victory, Cilluffo thanked his family, commended Beggs’ campaign and touched on what he hopes to accomplish in this term.
“I vow to the residents that in my next three years as commissioner I will do everything in my given powers to put the residents first, as well as enriching our parks and facilities to the community’s wants and needs,” Cilluffo said.
Cilluffo, a retired police officer, has held his current position since 2014, and campaigned on his record of helping expand park district programs while keeping a fiscally conservative budget.
Longtime Great Neck resident Patty Katz retained her seat on the board of commissioners for the Great Neck Water Pollution Control District (GNWCPD) after running for the position unopposed.
Katz, who also serves as the chairperson of the nonprofit Reach Out America’s Green Committee, was first elected to the GNWCPD in 2017, and campaigned on a promise to implement environmentally friendly solutions to combat water pollution.
“I am honored to be able to continue for an additional three years with my fellow esteemed commissioners, Jerry Landsberg and Steve Reiter,” Katz wrote in a statement. “We will work aggressively to pursue environmentally sustainable and cost-effective projects that will deliver long-lasting value to our community. In addition, I would like to extend a warm thank you to my family and friends for their tireless efforts and encouragement along the way.”
Incumbent Manhasset Lakeville Water-Fire District chairman Steven Flynn defeated former commissioner Donald O’Brien to retain his position by a vote of 543 to 392.
“It was a great election,” Flynn said in a statement. “I look forward to serving another term as Water-Fire Commissioner. Thank you to all who came out and supported me. It was greatly appreciated.”
Flynn has been a New York State certified water operator for 16 years, has spent 18 years working with a water distribution system, is a member of the Long Island Water Conference and American Waterwork Association and is currently the Highway and Water Department Foreman for the Village of Plandome. He campaigned on combating the presence of 1,4-dioxane in the area’s wells and promised to hold the line on taxes.
