POLL: Run-Off Elections Today in East, Estates

Trustees Brian Daughney and Nick Episcopia, and their challengers, Michele Harrington and Jon Segerdahl, respectively, are gearing up for today's run-off elections in the Estates and East.

These all-important elections will decide whose name will appear on Garden City's official ballot come March.

The Estates run-off election will take place in the Stratford School lobby from 4:30-9 p.m.

The East run-off election will take place at Stewart School from 4:30-9 p.m.

Here's another look at who you're voting for today:

ESTATES RUN-OFF

Brian Daughney, incumbent

Brian Daughney has served as Estates trustee since May 2010. At the Jan. 17 Estates Property Owners' Association (Estates POA) resident electors' meeting, the nominating committee placed Daughney into nomination to serve a two-year term on the village board effective April 1.

Trustee Daughney has lived in Garden City's Estates section for approximately 11 years with his wife, Jacqueline Goode. They have two pre-school age children.

Professionally, Daughney is a corporate and securities lawyer and is a partner in the New York office of Becker Poliakoff, LLP. With 23 years of corporate and securities law experience, Daughney has represented entrepreneurs, startups, small cap and middle market companies through the various stages of their development.

Daughney is a former Estates POA president and director. He also served on the association's nominating committee and Bylaws Committee while serving as a director.

As trustee, he has served on the Finance Committee, Traffic Commission and the Insurance Review sub-committee. He currently serves as trustee liaison to the Cultural and Recreation Commission, the Architectural Design Review Board and the Board of Appeals and Planning Commission.

Michele Harrington, challenger

A long time resident of Garden City, Michele Harrington believes many issues are threatening the quality of life in the village.

Harrington and her hsuband of 23 years, Kevin, have two children in college and one in high school. She began her career at Merrill Lynch and was most recently a managing director/institutional sales at Bank of America.

"As a woman with a financial background, I will bring a much needed and fresh perspective to the board of trustees," she said. "My commitment is to fiscal responsibility and quality, cooperative government."

She believes there are "critical financial issues" facing the village which must be addressed:

• Prudent financial management is paramount in view of the 2 percent tax levy cap
• Appropriate sequencing and amount of municipal borrowing
• Achieving fair and affordable arrangements with village employees
• Monitoring development in and around Garden City from which we receive little or no tax benefit

"I would be remiss if I did not mention St. Paul’s," she states in a letter to supporters. "It is a critical issue, but not the ONLY issue facing our village. We have an obligation to maintain St. Paul’s until consensus is reached by the residents as to how it should be utilized.

"The trustees have an obligation to address the numerous other pressing issues confronting us. I am confident that I have the temperament and common sense necessary to move us forward in a positive way."

EAST RUN-OFF

Nick Episcopia, incumbent

Nick Episcopia, first elected a village trustee representing the East in 2005, is Garden City's current second deputy mayor.

At the Jan. 17 Eastern Property Owners' Association (EPOA) resident electors' meeting, the nominating committee unanimously placed Episcopia into nomination to serve a new two-year term as village trustee effective April 1.

Trustee Episcopia and his wife, Dorothy, have lived in the village for 38 years, raising two children here. Their daughter, son-in-law and three grandchildren also live in the East.

He served on the EPOA board as vice president and later president from 1998 to 2005. 

While a village trustee, he has served as fire commissioner, building commissioner, public works commissioner, liaison to the business community and library board, chair of the vacancy committee and chair of the Environmental Advisory Board. He also serves on the Mayor’s Committee on St. Paul’s, the finance and compensation committees and the public information committee.

“I firmly believe in taking a pro-active stance in such matters as labor negotiations; taxation, budget and finances; building, zoning and planning; and the pressures from outside of the Village of Garden City that affect the health of our business community and our quality of life,” Episcopia said. “My professional expertise in real estate and major construction lending enable me to ask direct, on-point and probing questions regarding any potential development of the St. Paul’s building, the HUB, and sites within the village, as well as our village administration’s method of reporting to the board of trustees."

Jon Segerdahl

A 39-year resident of Garden City, Jon Segerdahl is a former trustee of the East contesting the nomination of current second deputy mayor Nick Episcopia.

Over the years, Segerdahl served on the School Districts Superintendent Search Committee, as a director, vice president and president of the EPOA, as chairman of the Joint Conference Committee of the POAs and as a village trustee for four years.

As a former public school administrator who believes his experience and leadership position will be helpful in balancing "fiscal responsibility with a vision for the future."

Segerdahl said he believes in a "representative form of government that respects the wishes of the residents of the East" and is attempting to fill a "leadership and vision void" he said now exists on the village board.

"It is time to bring a future back to our community, a time for rebuilding our government and a time for rebuilding our village," he said.