A little more than one month after being appointed to the board of trustees, Scott Strauss is running unopposed to be the next mayor of the Village of Mineola.
A veteran firefighter, Strauss filled the spot vacated by Trustee Lawrence Werther, who succeeded Jack Martins as mayor after Martins’ certification as state Senator representing the 7th Senate District last December. Werther had served as deputy mayor under Martins, who declared the winner in December after a contested general election.
Werther had indicated his intention to run for mayor immediately after he took the position. But on the eve of the candidate filings, he decided against running for mayor, citing the demands of his job.
“My obligations here wouldn’t allow me to give 110 percent to the residents,” Werther said.
He will instead join incumbent Thomas Kennedy in running trustee.
A dark horse candidate, Christopher Wales of Jefferson Street, is also running for trustee. Wales filed his petition to run on Tuesday, the deadline day for receipt of all petitions.
Trustee Paul Pereira acknowledged that he had been encouraged to run for mayor, but decided against doing so because of family obligations.
Speculation had focused on Strauss even before his appointment to fill the vacant seat on the village board.
A life-long resident of the village, Strauss said he loves Mineola and just wants to
“I just want to help out. There’s a void. I’m going to try to fill it,” Strauss said. “We’re in a good financial footing. It’s an exciting time now.”
Strauss, 43, is a life-long resident of Mineola.
Strauss served as chief of the Mineola Fire Department from 1999 to 2005, and has been an active member of the department since 1978.
He is also a life member of the Mineola Volunteer Ambulance Corps. And he is assistant scout master of Boy Scout Troop 45, which is sponsored by the First Presbyterian Church of Mineola.
Strauss credits his parents for setting an example for him through their involvement in community service.
“They were always involved in the community. That’s how I got involved in the community,” he said.
Strauss retired as a detective of the New York Police Department in 2004 after more than 20 years on that police force. He is currently corporate director of security and emergency management for the LIJ North Shore Medical System.
His eldest son Bryan is also a member of the Mineola Fire Department. His son Christopher is a lieutenant in the Mineola Junior Fire Department.
