Mayor Elliot Conway has had a very busy nine years in the Village of Upper Brookville.
After winning his election in 2016—beating Mayor Terry Lyons Thielen by just one vote—Conway set out to make the village more fiscally responsible and transparent.
“They say that villages are the form of government closest to the people, and it’s absolutely true. The best part about being mayor is getting to know these amazing residents,” Conway said.
Conway, who moved to the village 28 years ago, said he was inspired to run in 2016 when Thielen wanted to pass a local law that would limit shooting in the village.
Conway said he served as a volunteer consultant and alternate on the zoning board before his mayoral campaign.
Conway said one of the reasons he and his wife, Ann, moved to the village was because of the environment. He said he is a fan of outdoor activities like hunting and fishing, and he didn’t want to see that removed from the village.
Originally, Conway set out to run as a trustee, collecting 100 signatures in his bid, before he realized he wanted to run for mayor instead. Collecting another 100 signatures—from different residents than he first petition, he won against the former mayor by one vote, garnering 137 total.
When Conway is not working in the village, he serves on the board of trustees at Nassau Community College. Conway retired from his career in finance in 2009 and has two adult daughters and one grandchild.
The village, which has approximately 550 homes and 1,700 residents, contains many species, especially since it borders so many preserves. He said residents often see pheasants—the village’s “mascot”—as well as foxes and deer.
Since his election, Conway said he has many points of pride.
Taxes, which had previously been raised by approximately 5% each year, were lowered under his supervision. With some years as an exception, including a tax hike last year to cover public safety costs, Conway said, the village has broken the 5% increase trend and saved millions of dollars for taxpayers.
“We estimate by 2028, our villagers will have saved $12 million,” Conway said.
At the same time, he said, the village repaved its roads, which had previously been a cause for concern among officials and residents.
One of the largest changes in the village is its police department, Conway said.
Until recently, Upper Brookville was in a consortium with six neighboring villages: Muttontown, Brookville, Old Brookville, Mill Neck, Matinecock, and Cove Neck.
After the consortium disbanded, Upper Brookville and Muttontown combined their departments in 2022. Conway said there are generally more officers on the roads, which allows for fast response times.
Conway said he consults many neighboring village mayors, such as Daniel Serota in Brookville and Charles Goulding in Oyster Bay Cove, to determine the municipality’s best practices.
He said building these relationships helps day-to-day operations. The mayor of Williston Park, he said, even asked for his advice on how to deal with a deer appearing in his village.
In 2024, Conway was honored at the annual Nassau County Village Officials Association dinner, an organization of which he is the former president.
Looking towards the future, Conway said he is looking forward to the construction of a village hall. He said the village has “moved around like nomads” with no permanent home to call its own.
The new village hall site, located at 5701 Northern Blvd., is in the heart of the village” and has belonged to Upper Brookville for over 70 years, Conway said.
The lot was previously leased out to a consortium of local police forces for $1 a year, he said. The $1.5 million renovations began about a month ago and are projected to be completed in October.
The building will include a village court, police substation and a disaster recovery center, Conway said.
But that’s not all Conway is looking forward to.
In the future, Conway said he wants to create a safer village by increasing connectivity and decreasing roadway hazards.
First, he said he intends to better the village’s poor cell service, which is a current safety concern when it comes to hurricane season. Due to its low density and poor cell service, Conway said some believe it to be the “most dangerous community in the North Shore” during disasters.
He said he also wants to create safer roadways and is looking to install stop sign cameras on Mill River Road, which sees a lot of traffic and speeding. The village intends to add a pedestrian walkway and bike path to increase safety on the roadway as well, Conway said.
Conway said he has connected with many of the residents through his work in the village and looks forward to further giving back to the community.
“You don’t get paid for this, but it’s fun,” Conway said.
