Thomas Lamberti wants to put an end to "surprise, confrontation and steamroller tactics." He also wants to ensure the viability of Garden City's participatory democracy. The First Street resident is challenging the Central Property Owners' Association (CPOA) Nominating Committee's unanimous decision to bring forth current village mayor Barbara Miller as candidate for trustee in the upcoming village election. A run-off election will be held Tuesday, Feb. 1 at Garden City High School, located on Merillon and Rockaway Avenues, between the hours of 4:30 and 9 p.m. Picture ID is required. Whoever proves victorious Feb. 1 becomes the Community Agreement Party's candidate for the village's March election.

Lamberti, who's served six years as a CPOA director, admitted the decision to challenge an incumbent, let alone the mayor, was a tough one. He became gravely concerned for Garden City's future when Mayor Miller's resolution to designate the entire St. Paul's property "parkland" passed Dec. 16 by a 5-4 margin. Along with Mayor Miller, Trustees Jon Segerdahl, Peter Negri and John Watras voted in favor of it while Trustees Robert Rothschild, John Mauk, Gerard Lundquist and Peter Bee voted against it. Mayor Miller, following the village's Community Agreement, voted twice to break the 4-4 deadlock.

"Mayor Miller acted without the advice of village counsel or village staff," Lamberti said. "She acted without advice from the four property owners' associations or from the public. She swept aside our forums for input and the right of our citizens to be heard. She also ignored the results of the St. Paul's survey, which showed that 47 percent of the residents of Central favored private use, 20 percent favored public use and 19 percent favored demolition."

Lamberti further stated, "By designating St. Paul's as parkland, the village's control and use of the property has been limited. Public uses as a village hall, school administration, a senior citizens' center or a location for civic associations may no longer be possible, as they may not fit the definition of parkland. Private use has become practically impossible. It is my understanding that to remove the designation, the state legislature will require the village to acquire new parkland equal in value to St. Paul's. Before this designation, private use would only have required home rule legislation without the acquisition of new parkland."

Mayor Miller has publicly stated on numerous occasions that the designation does not take away the village's control of future uses of the property and turn it over to the state. Rather, she stated, it does just the opposite. "The new designation gives residents more control and takes that control away from misguided officials who might capriciously give away or sell all, or a part, of the property to commercial interests without receiving fair value in return," Mayor Miller explained.

Further defending her decision to bring forth the resolution, which surprised several board members and the public, Mayor Miller continued, stating, "It has been used as a park since 1992 and can continue to be used that way." The controversial resolution sparked debate since its Dec. 16 passage amongst many in town, including more than 300 people who recently petitioned the board of trustees to rescind it and others who've publicly stated that such a designation effectively forecloses on any kind of private use of the property.

Mayor Miller disagrees. "If the village wants to change it - and has a plan that is better for the residents - the board of trustees can request that change and, as our legislators have told us, it would be granted through home rule legislation. But the people will decide. That does not cost us more or force us to pay twice. That's silly. In fact, it ensures that the village will always receive fair value for the property if its status is ever changed. Could that be what is upsetting commercial interests?"

Lamberti, once a member of the Legal Advisory Committee for the $38 million bond issue to repair and renovate Garden City schools, believes Mayor Miller acted "irresponsibly" and continues to demonstrate a leadership style that is "unilateral and dismissive" of village processes. "This is why I chose to run for trustee. Garden City deserves responsible leadership," he said. Lamberti said his years of service as school district counsel for more than 25 years and village counsel for over 30 and his work with past mayors, boards of trustees and school boards gives him invaluable knowledge and experience to solve village problems.

Lamberti's challenge comes at a time when new questions and new controversies surrounding St. Paul's abound. "There is a great deal of misunderstanding, misinformation and deception being spread about St. Paul's and the parkland designation," Mayor Miller said. "Quite frankly, it also demonstrates that there was little understanding by some board of trustee members regarding Judge [John] Burke's ruling of public trust. But the fact remains that the use of St. Paul's has not changed since 1992. All the residents have used the property, including the 10 acres that immediately surround the building, as a park. These are valuable uses that commercial developers would like to change."

Mayor Miller believes the board of trustees must maintain a voice for all residents. "Why the parkland designation? Well, it ensures that a board of trustees has said that the village must receive fair value for the property if the use of the building and property were changed, which was not a requirement of the public trust," she explained. "I, and those trustees who voted with me for parkland designation, did so to protect the property from over-development and make sure that fair value would be received if it were ever sold."

Promising to continue her promotion of residents' voices, Mayor Miller added, "As your trustee, I will fight with every bit of energy to keep control in the hands of the people of Garden City ... This is my promise to you." If Mayor Miller bests Lamberti, she'll become part of a long history of Garden City mayors returning as trustee after their term as mayor expired, including Peter Gall, Allen Mathers and Frank Tauches.