The villages of Williston Park and Mineola are holding elections on March 18, and all incumbents are seeking reelection unopposed.
Mineola’s election will be held from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Mineola Community Center. In Williston Park, elections will be held from noon to 9 p.m. at Village Hall.
In Mineola, Mayor Paul Pereira is seeking reelection to his second term unopposed.
He said he is focused on maintaining and expanding a strong business district and hopes to implement funding from the New York Forward Grant, a $4.5 million state grant the village received in 2024.
“I want to focus more on making Mineola, and our downtown especially, into more of a destination,” he said. “We’ll also focus on our infrastructure, predominantly water and sewer, to make sure they are meeting the demands and expectations of our residents and our business community.”
He recently announced plans to retire from his 33-year career as a teacher at Mineola High School after this school year, but said that does not change his role as mayor.
“I’m looking forward to working with the team that we have. Including the board, our wonderful staff and department heads,” he said. “We’re all focused on taking this village further in the direction that we’re going.”
Deputy Mayor Janine Sartori is also running for her second term unopposed. She echoed Pereira’s intent to implement grant funds and said that continued fiscal responsibility is a central tenet of her leadership.
“The initiatives we’ve implemented are resulting in a bustling downtown with a strong sense of community. I look forward to continuing our work over my next term,” Sartori said. “Great things are happening in Mineola, and we’ve only just begun.”
Trustee Jeffrey Clark is also running unopposed. He, along with Pereira and Sartori, is running with the New Line Party, which is focused on reinvigorating the business district, according to Sartori.
Mineola Village Justice Scott Fairgrieve is also seeking reelection unopposed.
“I will continue to be fair and impartial to all who appear in court,” he said. “Everyone will continue to have the right to fully present his/her side of the case so that a proper determination may be made.”
Williston Park’s Mayor Paul Ehrbar is seeking his fifth term and is running unopposed. He was first elected in 2010 and previously served as the first gentleman when his wife, Doreen, was mayor in the early 2000s.
“I think over the years, myself and the board have accomplished a lot in the village, and we hope to continue to do so,” he said. “We have a very dedicated, committed board. We all work together well.”
Ehrbar said his highest priorities are improving infrastructure, keeping village operations efficient, and keeping taxes low. He said he keeps his office open to residents, and he’s always willing to speak with people about their village problems.
Incumbents Deputy Mayor Kevin Rynne and Trustee William O’Brien are also running unopposed. Rynne previously served as the Hempstead postmaster, president of the Williston Park Little League and as a leader of Scouting America Troop 201.
“I am seeking reelection because even though this administration has done a great job making the village a better place for all the residents, there is still work that needs to be done,” O’Brien said. “The board would like to continue to make Williston Park a safer place for its residents and to bring in more small businesses to the area.”
Kevin Kiley, the incumbent village justice, is also seeking reelection unopposed.
