By the time this column is published, the Village of Farmingdale will have elected two new trustees and a justice. My deadline for this column was before the election results were determined so I can't congratulate anyone just yet. However congratulations are in order for all the candidates. For those who will not be joining the board, I know they will stay involved and continue to keep my administration on our feet! For the newly elected trustees, I welcome you and look forward to working with you in our pursuit to keep our village government open and fiscally responsible.

This past Thursday, the Concerned Citizens Association of Farmingdale (CCAF), held a Meet the Candidates Night at their monthly meeting. I want to thank the CCAF and their President Mike Grello for hosting the forum. The meeting featured all seven trustee candidates, the two candidates for Village Court Justice, Deputy Mayor Rachiele, Trustee Langon and me. Each candidate was given eight minutes to speak and answer questions. All the candidates spoke well and I compliment them on how they presented their views and ideas. The resounding bottom line was, and is, that they love living in Farmingdale and want to be part of keeping our fair village a great place to live. Opinions did vary on what the important issues were and how to address them. While I did not agree with some statements and can debate the accuracy of some, it still enabled them all to speak their minds and allow the community to make their own judgments.

It was a tremendous opportunity for all residents and community members to see firsthand what they were all about and ask them questions about their platforms. It was very unfortunate that more village residents did not attend. I know that everybody is busy and on any given night there are multiple events, meetings and chores to do. The bottom line is: they missed the chance to see, hear and interact with the candidates. They missed the opportunity to see the whole picture live, the opportunity to make a judgment first hand, not rely on printed fliers, newspapers ads or hearsay. I know this is really a moot point as the elections are over, but I hope that in the future more of our residents will come to these type forums to learn about the people and board who govern the village. I also once again invite all village residents and community members to attend our monthly trustee meetings and become part of our open government. If you can't attend please visit our website: www.farmingdalevillage.com to keep abreast of the happenings and goings on. If you have questions, concerns, ideas please, feel free to write or call village hall. I look forward to seeing you at our meetings.