By Victoria A. Caruso The Hicksville Water District will hold commissioner elections on Tuesday. Sept. 2 at Hicksville Fire Department headquarters, located on East Marie Street, from 3-9 p.m. All registered voters of the Hicksville Water District are eligible to vote. This year, two residents, Warren Uss and Thomas Cunningham, are vying for one open seat being vacated by Richard Humann who is retiring after serving as water commissioner for 24 years. Commissioner terms are three years. The following are profiles on the two candidates: Thomas Cunningham Thomas Cunningham, a resident of Hicksville since 1968, is a veteran of the United States Coast Guard and retired lieutenant from the New York City Fire Department, where he served for 27 years. As a member of the NYFD, Cunningham was involved in various line organizations and, following September 11, 2001, returned to work with the department's counseling unit. On the local front, he is a former Hicksville Fire District Commissioner (1991-1996) and, in October, will celebrate his 40th year of service with the Hicksville Fire Department. "I believe we should preserve home rule in our water district," said Cunningham. "As both a candidate and customer, I feel the water district has been run in a competent and professional manner. I am open for change provided it is for the benefit of the taxpayers and customers who would elect me to this position." Cunningham added that he is the candidate of choice because he can "devote the time and energy to the customers of the Hicksville Water District and bring them the good quality of water and service that [the] district has provided since 1921." Warren Uss Lifelong and third generation Hicksville resident Warren Uss is a former licensed registered representative of the New York Stock Exchange who specialized in tax free municipal bonds and fixed income securities. Additionally, he operated his own home improvement business for 15 years and is currently employed as a fire-alarm dispatcher for the Hicksville Fire District. An active member of the Hicksville Fire Department for over 35 years, Uss also served on numerous committees and was captain of Emergency Company #5. He is also a past trustee and president of the Hicksville Exempt Benevolent Association and a former Hicksville Little League and Trinity Lutheran basketball coach. Uss, who ran unsuccessfully for water commissioner once before, said he is seeking election to the water district this time around "to take the next step in continuing my service and commitment to all the residents of Hicksville." He said his goal would be to ensure that "residents ... have an ample supply of water for their fire protection and the highest quality for drinking and personal use at the lowest possible price." Uss is, however, opposed to the consolidation of the district. "The only thing consolidation would do is take our tax dollars and send them somewhere else to be spent. I want every dollar collected to stay here and be reinvested in our projects," he said. Voting Information This will be the last water commissioner election to be held in September. In order to meet the needs of its residents, the Hicksville Water District sought to change the date of its elections from August to the second Tuesday in December. The request for a new election date, supported by New York State Senators Craig Johnson and Carl Marcellino and Assemblyman Rob Walker and approved by the Senate and Assembly, is currently awaiting Governor David Paterson's signature. In 2009, water commissioner elections will be held on the same Tuesday in December as fire district and other special district elections. "Changing our election date would keep us in line with a standard voting day and help us improve upon administrative procedures and financial practices while at the same time encouraging greater community involvement. Our overall goal is to implement changes that will have a positive impact on the community by asking voters to come and vote for their special districts (fire and water) on one single day," said Commissioner Karl Schweitzer in a previous Hicksville Illustrated News article. The Hicksville Water District Board of Commissioners _holds regularly scheduled meetings on the _second and fourth Tuesday of each month at 5 p.m._ at the district's administrative offices, which are located at _4 Dean Street. The public is welcome to attend.