Joseph Abukoush won the New Hyde Park Fire District commissioner election on Tuesday with 167 votes. He ran unopposed.
The 31-year-old business owner will take the seat vacated by Mike Stein, who did not seek re-election after one term.
Abukoush served for about six years in Estates Engine Co. 3, where he was treasurer and lieutenant. In 2016 he moved to Active Hook and Ladder Co. 1, where he currently serves as secretary and lieutenant.
Abukoush said he considered his youth an advantage when thinking about running. With a business degree from St. John’s University, he said he believes he could add a valuable perspective to the board.
“I understand what the needs the department itself wants and the commissioner’s responsibility on top of that,” Abukoush said in a previous interview with Blank Slate Media. “I am heavily involved in all aspects of budget and spending, with my background of being in the Fire Department for the last 13 years, I feel going into this position that I can help this community greatly.”
Considering his priorities if elected, he said the department is in a good spot and he is focused on providing help where he can. Despite his age, he said he feels very comfortable with the current board and officers throughout the department.
“If elected, I’m probably going to be one of the youngest commissioners this department has ever seen, but I’m used to that,” Abukoush said. “I work in a family business, joining my father when I was a teenager. I feel I have matured at a very young age and am ready to take on this responsibility and do it well.”
Manhasset-Lakeville Fire and Water District Commissioner Brian Morris won his re-election bid over Ahmed Shakir, with 438 votes to 41. For write-in candidates, there were 15 votes.
Morris will begin his fifth term on Jan. 1 alongside Commissioners Steven Flynn and Mark Sauvigne.
The Manhasset-Lakeville Water District serves approximately 45,000 customers who use 7.4 million gallons of water a day within the service area of 10.2 square miles, according to the water district’s website. Eighteen wells at 13 locations provide water to Manhasset and portions of Great Neck and North New Hyde Park.
Morris had said he was running on similar priorities and positions as in years past, which include updating district infrastructure to meet new state regulations and maintaining excellent service for district residents.
“Both the water and fire districts have aggressive capital improvement programs,” Morris said. “I think it’s an achievement and a testament to our commitment to maintain such a high level of service in both districts while staying under the New York state tax cap.”
Regarding the water district, Morris said emerging contaminants such as 1,4-dioxane, perfluorooctanoic acid, and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid are a focus and removing them remains a prominent issue. He also referred to new construction on the way.
“In the coming years, the district will be investing over $30 million on new purification plants. When I am re-elected I will continue to strive for excellence in both the water and fire districts while keeping rates and taxes as low as possible,” Morris said.
Alan Cooper won the Garden City Park Water and Fire Commissioner’s seat over incumbent Chris Engel, 252 votes to 129.
Cooper will begin a three-year term on Jan. 1 and will serve alongside Kenneth Borchers and Peter Chiment, who were not up for re-election this year.
“I want to thank everyone in the Garden City Park Water and Fire District,” Cooper told Blank Slate Media. “I am humbled by their support and will diligently work to provide the best district we can to constituents.”
Cooper, a Garden City Park native who served as commissioner in the late 1990s and early 2000s, said that rising water rates and stagnation drove him to run for his old post.
“Since I left office, I feel this progress has stalled and the district is not keeping up with the changing landscape of both fire and water services,” Cooper said in an interview with Blank Slate Media. “The current board has become complacent and it’s time for a change.”
The newly elected commissioner said his priorities for the water district were to keep costs low and prevent stagnation on the board. For the fire district, he says that staffing is at a low point and plans to increase recruitment strategies.
The Garden City Park Water District covers parts of Garden City Park, Manhasset Hills, parts of New Hyde Park, parts of Mineola, parts of North Hills, parts of Roslyn, parts of Williston Park, parts of Albertson and parts of Garden City.
Cooper is associate dean of the Willumstad School of Business at Adelphi University and the owner of a consulting firm specializing in process improvement and organizational development.
