Greater Port Washington Business Improvement District founder Roy Smitheimer is in the race for a Village of Manorhaven trustee seat.
Smitheimer said he’s running because he believes he has the right experience to serve as Manorhaven trustee and has extensive experience in municipal and operations processes.
“I know how to make government run, I know how to take visions, have a target and meet that target,” said Smitheimer, who will running for one of the two open trustee seats along with incumbent Trustee Priscilla von Roeschlaub, and Port Washington residents Barbara Ruemenapp and Kenneth Kraft.
Smitheimer graduated from Paul D. Schreiber High School and went on to Alfred University, where he received his bachelor’s in political science. He also received his master’s in science at Hofstra University.
For more than 24 years he founded and served as Executive Director of Greater Port Washington Business Improvement District.
He co-founded Pride in Port, HarborFest, and Port Holiday Magic.
Smitheimer is a current board member of Long Island Development Corp, Residents For a More Beautiful Port Washington, and the Long Island Regional Economic Development Council infrastructure Work Group.
He also served as Port Washington Police Commissioner, and past member of the Port Washington Fire Department Fire Medic Co. He served as president of the Port Washington Chamber of Commerce, Nassau Council Chambers of Commerce, Nassau County Empire Economic Development Zone.
Smitheimer said some of the challenges in the village are with the infrastructure of the area and buildings.
“The infrastructure is crumbling,” he said. “There hasn’t been a real true capital plan, or a real push for grants for the village.”
Smitheimer is running in the The Manorhaven Residents Party with Trustee James Avena, who is running for Mayor and Von Roeschlaub.
“Working with the two of them and we can make great progress,” Smitheimer said.
“It has been hard to move enough agenda items forward these past 9 months since I’ve served as trustee. Since the Mayor has the final say on virtually everything we attempt to push through, she has vetoed a great deal of things and
resisted items we have been able to implement. Just two things we were able to initiate are establishing work sessions 1-2 times a month and liaison roles for various areas of our government. These are both helping us accomplish more and ensure staff have the support they need,” Avena said in a statement. “I want to put the discord that has become commonplace in our village’s politics behind us and move forward with our residents for a better Manorhaven. This negative, self-serving energy is harming our beautiful village’s reputation and prevents our government from operating effectively.”
Village of Manorhaven Mayor Giovanna Giunta, and Trustee Kevin Gately are not seeking re-election in June.
Efforts to reach Gately and Giunta were unavailing.
Smitheimer said Gately is not running again because of his schedule.
“He’s got a new child and his workload doesn’t allow him to continue further,” Smitheimer said.
Former Manorhaven Mayor Gary Pagano is also running for Mayor.
In Sands Point, incumbent trustees Lynn Najman and Peter Forman as well as Village Justice Alyson Adler filed for re-election and will run unopposed.
The trustees are running for two-year terms; Adler is seeking a four-year term.
The village of Sands Point will hold elections on Tuesday, June 21 from 12 to 9 p.m. at the Village Hall. The village of Manorhaven will hold elections on June 21 from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the Village Hall. All positions are unpaid.
