Three residents are seeking election to the position of Farmingdale Village mayor. The mayor's term is four years. Current Mayor George J. Graf is seeking re-election and is running on the Farmingdale Family Party line. Current Trustee George "Butch" Starkie is also running for mayor on the Green Leaf Party line. Newcomer John F. Garry, Jr. is seeking election to the mayor's position and is running on the Remembrance Party Line.

The Village of Farmingdale will be holding its general election on Tuesday, March 18 from noon to 9 p.m. at Village Hall on Main Street. All registered voters of the Village of Farmingdale are eligible to vote. To register, visit Village Hall between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. and pick up a registration form. For more information call 249-0093.

Candidates appear below in alphabetical order.

John F. Garry Jr. is a lifelong Farmingdale resident. He has a son and two grandchildren. He founded the Farmingdale Cougars and directed the Junior Golf Program at Bethpage Park. He also coached the Farmingdale Hawks football team and served on committees for both the Farmingdale Soccer and Over the Hill Softball leagues.

"I'm running for mayor of Farmingdale primarily because the village looks rundown," Garry said.

Garry said his qualifications while working in the Nassau County Court system would help him in office.

"I became very attuned to the ways of local politics," he added. "I have numerous contacts at all levels of government. My prior management experience, although most of it with youth organizations and sports teams, allows me the experience to take on this job."

According to Garry, "the next four years could be the most economically challenging for Farmingdale Village, Long Island and the country have faced in a century."

"We face $5 a gallon gas, $5 a gallon milk and $5 for a loaf of bread or a dozen eggs," he added. "Merrill Lynch forecasts a 25 percent reduction in the value of our homes in the next two years. All this in the face of rising school and property taxes. My friends and neighbors, we need help and it's not going to come from our local budget. My first day as mayor I will be making appointments with Legislator David Mejias, Assemblyman Joseph Saladino, Town Supervisor John Venditto, Senator Kemp Hannon and even Congressman Pete King to tap into their resources to bring Farmingdale Village back to its glory days. We're not going to survive this economy on our own."

Current mayor and 25-year Farmingdale resident George J. Graf is a married father of three. He teaches middle school mathematics and is involved in the Rotary International.

Graf said he is running for re-election because he "would like to finish the job that Joe Rachiele, Tom Langon and I started."

"There is much to be done, from revitalizing Main Street and the downtown train station area to finishing the resurfacing of our roadways," he added.

When asked what accomplishments Graf is most proud of during his four-year tenure, he said "keeping taxes below the rate of inflation for the three years we've had full control of the budgeting process and restoring the health to our finances, the on-going visioning process which is providing a pathway to revitalizing our business districts, improving the Conklin Street and Secatogue Avenue areas, meeting nine out of ten 2004 campaign promises, increasing funding to our seniors from $5,000 to $26,000, including an annual $10,000 to a reserve for an eventual senior center, approving the first affordable next generation owner occupied town houses, the greening of Farmingdale as our parklands have been expanded and the village green renovated, enacting new local laws limiting the size of new houses and the sub-division of residential lots, increasing the fine for illegal housing ten-fold to discourage such activity and educating and informing our residents on a monthly basis via the village newsletter."

Graf said his goals for the future of Farmingdale Village include working with the board of trustees, the Vision Long Island group and Downtown Revitalization Committee to "bring new prosperity to our Village while maintaining the charm of past."

Graf said he would also continue to implement and expand tax saving initiatives such as the Parkland Fund that will use developer incentive contributions "to maintain and improve our parks instead of our tax dollars."

In the future, Graf said he is also interested in developing "a long-range strategic financial plan that encompasses completing the resurfacing of remaining roadway and municipal lots, replacement of fire department heavy equipment, new water well and other infrastructure upgrades."

Additionally, Graf said he wishes to complete in the next fiscal year, "the wireless water meter replacement and implement semi-annual water billing."

Current Village Trustee George "Butch" Starkie considers himself a life-long Daler, having grown up in Massapequa Park while attending Farmingdale Schools. He has resided in the village since 1994. A married father of four, Starkie bought the Starkie Brothers Garden Center property on Main Street in 1982. He now retains the Garden Center portion of the company.

Starkie has been involved with Concerned Citizens Association of Farmingdale, Farmingdale Schools' Citizens Advisory Committee, the SUNY Farmingdale Horticultural Committee, a New York State Farm Bureau member, a regular attendee at school board meetings and an active parish member of St. Kilian's.

When elected to village trustee two years ago, Starkie said he didn't like some of the things he saw.

"We've experienced a 20 percent tax rate increase over the last four years that I feel was unwarranted after seeing firsthand some of the waste that exists," Starkie added. "There has been a decline in services from our Public Works Department, while administrative costs for running the village have increased more than I think they should have."

Starkie said what he finds most troubling are the builders and profiteers who "want to try to get a pass on an existing building moratorium that I successfully fought for when I was first elected."

"These builders are proposing hundreds of apartments for our downtown before the village has had a chance to have a proper impact study conducted," he added. "I know first hand about the importance of the competitive bidding process and feel strongly that we owe it to the people who currently call our village home to have a truly objective and independent study conducted."

Starkie said his experience as an independent businessman and village trustee have prepared him to be an effective mayor.

If elected, Starkie said he pledges to "make every tax dollar count."

"My first order of business will be to have all elected officials contribute towards their very generous medical benefits package," he added. "I think that it is important that we lead by example and that as elected officials we need to make the first sacrifice in cost cutting. I will immediately implement the Ethics Board that was promised four years ago. All contracts will be put out to annual and semi-annual bids to insure that we are getting the best value for the taxpayer. We will simplify the parking signs and regulations in our business district so that residents can avoid costly tickets. I will say no to the large building proposals until a full comprehensive independent impact study is completed and our village Master Plan has been updated. I plan to use my business experience to work with residents, shopkeepers, and landlords to attract truly viable businesses to our Main Street."