Village of Floral Park trustees Kevin Fitzgerald and Archie Cheng will continue their fights against what they have called unwanted intrusions into their village after winning an unopposed election Tuesday.
Cheng won his first full term with 980 votes, and Fitzgerald got 933. Both ran with the Citizens Party.
Fitzgerald and Cheng ran on their opposition to a video casino proposed for Belmont Park and Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s plan to build a third track along a 9.8-mile stretch of the Long Island Rail Road starting in Floral Park.
“The large voter turnout in an unconstested election shows the community’s commitment to vote when there are issues at hand, and to let elected officials know that the residents of Floral Park will vote when there are issues that are of concern to them,” said Fitzgerald, who also thanked the residents for their votes.
Cheng, appointed to the board in February, also touted the large turnout, something he said he and Fitzgerald hoped to achieve.
“I never liked the term appointed, but now that I’m elected I can’t wait to do the work for the village for the next two years,” he said.
Fitzgerald was appointed to the Village Board in 2011 and was made deputy mayor following the December death of the late Trustee James Rhatigan.
He chairs the village’s Belmont Park Task Force, which has played a central role in efforts against Nassau Regional Off-Track Betting Corp.’s plan to build a video casino at the Elmont racetrack.
Fitzgerald first got involved with village government as a member of the Third Track Task Force, fighting the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s plan for a third track in the mid-2000s.
The village recently reactivated that committee and tapped Cheng to lead it.
That group has held a public meeting to organize opposition and worked with opponents on a social-media campaign to convince Cuomo to halt his proposal for a third track between Floral Park and Hicksville.
Cuomo and officials from the MTA and LIRR have met several times with local village officials to market his proposals, and has marketed his project as leaner and less intrusive than the MTA’s old plan.
Fitzgerald has said the MTA has been more proactive in engaging affected communities, and Cuomo’s office has said it will continue that engagement as it conducts an environmental study of the project.
Opponents in Floral Park and other communities along the affected stretch say construction would negatively impact traffic, commerce and quality of life.
Supporters of the estimated $1.5 billion project say the third track would ease east- and west-bound commutes and boost Long Island’s economy.
Nassau OTB has said it is collecting community feedback to form a benefits package that would share casino revenue with surrounding communities.
OTB and other proponents say the casino would bring much-needed revenue to Nassau County and provide millions in additional revenue for local businesses.
Opponents say it would increase crime and traffic and decrease property values in the area.
Cheng and Fitzgerald will earn a $5,000 annual salary for their trustee positions.
