Meet the candidates for the upcoming Manorhaven Village elections

The village of Manorhaven’s elections are Tuesday, June 18, and this year’s races are taking shape be anything but boring.

The village elections should be exciting and competitive. The Manorhaven Village Board of Trustees has seen some tension in recent years, and now board trustee Jeff Stone is running against incumbent Mayor John Popeleski.

Residents will vote for the Village of Manorhaven Mayor (two-year term) and two trustees (two-year term).

Incumbent Mayor Popeleski is running in the Workers’ Party with Trustee Harry Farina and Trustee Monica Ildefonso. Mayor Popeleski was elected in 2022 after serving as a Village Board Trustee since 2016. Trustee Farina is seeking re-election to a third term and Trustee Ildefonso is seeking re-election to a second term.

Mayoral candidate Jeff Stone is running as part of the Manorhaven Residents Party, alongside Nancy Rozakis and Rob Swerdlow, who are seeking office as trustees. Stone has served as a village board trustee since June 2023 and has lived in Manorhaven for 17 years. Trustee candidates Rozakis and Swerdlow are also longtime Manorhaven residents.

Residents will be able to vote at the Manorhaven village hall (33 Manorhaven Blvd.) from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

THE Port Washington News contacted both candidates to discuss their respective goals and plans for the future of the village if elected.

Question : What made you want to run for office?

Popeleski: “Projects I’m still working on. I’m working on getting grants for projects like road paving and working on the Manorhaven Preserve to finish the cement at the end of the trail. I want to be in power again to ensure that these projects are carried out with grants.

“In addition, I am a very involved mayor. When people call the village to ask questions about projects they see in the area, I have the answers for them. I still have a lot of work ahead of me and I love my job and the residents. I’ve worked in the public sector for 33 and a half years, so I know how government works.

Question : What achievements during your term as mayor are you proud of?

P: “Our new generator at the pumping station. It was a very big project and it cost the taxpayers nothing. It was funded through a grant and amounted to approximately $600,000. We are working to clean up the village, continuing to sweep the streets and relining our sewer pipes. Relining pipes saves the taxpayer a lot of money. The village owns our sewer system and our Department of Public Works foreman works on our sewer maintenance program to clean troubled areas. No sewage leaves our system, and being a waterfront community, this is important to us.

“We’re also restructuring how we make investments, which means more money in the bank.”

Question : What initiatives and projects will you implement or continue if you are re-elected?

P: “I will continue to work on all of our projects and receive grants because I am trying to save taxpayers’ money. We work with National Grid, Verizon and PSEG. With PSEG, we are replacing all failed telephone poles on Manhasset Island. We have replaced many now and continue to do so. We are in communication with PSEG about the project, and when the poles are ready, Verizon and National Grid are working to get everything transferred to the new poles. The village needs to constantly communicate with businesses about the project so I can have updates for our residents.

Question : What made you decide to run for mayor?

Rock: “Some people wanted me to get involved in Manorhaven because of all the service work I do in town. They said it would be good to change the status quo and the makeup of Manorhaven’s government. After much thought and consideration, I realized that this was another great level of service that I could provide to residents. I love bringing people together to do things for the community, and I’ve been doing that for a while. I figured with the way people were talking about Manorhaven, I should use my skills to serve others and see if I could make a difference.

Question : How will your previous professional experiences help you in the role of mayor if elected?

S: “I am a co-founder of the HELP Long Island Project, a board member of the Port Washington Chamber of Commerce and Adult Activity Center, among other organizations like the Kiwanis Club. With experience from all the service organizations I belong to and working with people to make a difference, I want to bring residents into government and build teams. I form committees on services, finances, quality of life, environment and more. These people are not only passionate, but many are talented.

Question : What initiatives do you plan to focus on if elected?

S: “Transparency. Everything is going to be transparent. There will be no surprises, especially when it comes to large projects. If you can’t attend a meeting in person, I want to have Zoom functionality at all times. board meetings This way you can log in and see the agenda posted early to review it before the meeting. I implore people to speak up and speak up. people and heard what they have to say, I don’t like the way this government constantly disrespects residents It’s about helping people and people helping people It’s. This is how I want to govern.”