10 Lawrence residents running for mayor, trustee, village justice

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Energized perhaps by the coronavirus pandemic, or simply by an old-fashioned burst of civic involvement, the Lawrence village election on Sept. 15 will boast a field of 10 candidates for mayor, trustee and village justice — a record-breaking slate, according to village records.

Incumbent Mayor Alex Edelman is being challenged by Village Trustee Daniel Goldstein for the two-year term, and there are a half dozen people running for two trustee seats. Trustee Syma Diamond is stepping down, and Uri Kaufman is running for re-election. Also on the ballot for two-year terms are Bruce A. Backman, Eli Kutner, J. Kolodny Lawrence, Joel M. Preminger and Paris Popack.

Village Justice Gary Mandel is running for his first four-year term. He was appointed to replace Donald Buchalter, who retired in 2018. Mandel is being challenged by Shrage Rokosz. Village Court adjudicates traffic tickets issued in the village by the Nassau County Police Department as well as summonses for village code violations.

Edelman heads the Unity Party ticket, which includes Kutner, Mandel and Popack. The People’s Party slate, led by Goldstein, comprises Backman, Preminger and Rokosz. Kaufman is running under the Harmony Party banner, and Lawrence is the Taxpayer’s Party candidate.

Edelman versus Goldstein

Running for his third two-year term, Edelman, 71, said he still has items remaining on his to-do list, including roadwork and sidewalk projects, and selling the decommissioned sewage treatment plant land on Rock Hall Road and using the money to build an aquatic center with a gym and yoga room at the Lawrence Yacht & Country Club. “I still have many more things to do for the benefit of the village,” Edelman said.

He has strongly advocated selling the treatment plant land to a developer to build several single-family homes, but noted that other people have different ideas. Edelman said that the issue should ultimately be decided by a public referendum. He added that a larger development would result in increased traffic volume, and that the families in the area were opposed.

Edelman, a businessman who owns six metropolitan area businesses, noted that Lawrence was in good financial shape, and that the country club was doing much better under the management of Kemper Sports. The village has saved more than $120,000 in salaries and $150,000 in maintenance in the past two years through better management. And during his term as mayor, he said, the country club has returned $2.75 million of the $4 million it owed the village. “I think I can go on my reputation, the accomplishments,”

Edelman said, noting the $640,000 roadwork and sidewalk-repair projects. “I have been fiscally responsible.”
Goldstein, 55, said he wanted to make changes Edelman opposes. An electrician and real estate developer, Goldstein has opposed Edelman on raising the tax rate in each of the past three years, which he said has hurt the village. Goldstein is advocating for a bicycle lane near the country club that Edelman has opposed.

Goldstein is also a proponent of spending the money to bury power lines underground in order to reduce outages during storms.

Saying that he is opposed to building a swimming pool for $8 million at the country club, Goldstein said he wants the club to remain open space, but perhaps to use it in a different way in the near future. “I want to work together with everyone,” he said. “I’m not looking for a fight.”

When the sewage treatment plant land is sold, Goldstein said, the money should be put in a rainy-day fund, and could be used to repair village roads and sidewalks and for other projects. He said that change, and his younger mind, are the reasons to vote for him.

Goldstein will remain on the board if he loses the mayoral election.