Politics & Government

RVC Village Board Candidate: Edward Oppenheimer

Four people will be seeking two seats on the Rockville Centre Village Board on Tuesday, June 18. The election is at-large, meaning the two candidates with the highest votes will serve on the board for four years. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the Anderson Recreation Center on North Oceanside Road.

Edward Oppenheimer, a trustee seeking reelection, sent the following responses to Patch’s candidate questionnaire.

Tell us about yourself (age, town, profession, family, etc.).

I am a Certified Public Accountant with my practice located in town and I have lived in Rockville Centre for most of my 60 years. My wife Ethel and I have two grown children, Sarah and Andrew. I have been an active member of the Rockville Centre Fire Department for over 34 years and participated on many village committees such as Finance, Traffic and Transportation and the RVC Community Fund for over 30 years.

Why are you running for the village board?

I am running because I feel there is a good deal of work to be done and to make our village better. I would like to see the downtown parking lots improved and enlarged to support a vibrant downtown. I would also like to see upgrades and expansion of our parks and recreation facilities. I would like to see new accounting systems established that will allow more convenient electronic billing and payment that will reduce costs through greater efficiencies.

What qualifies you to serve on the village board?


As a Certified Public Accountant I have a strong background understanding complex budgets and money management important in operating the village economically and efficiently. As a Firefighter / EMT for over 34 years I have been able to use my training to assist in the planning for, and mitigation of, the effects of 3 major storms and any future emergency management issues. As a business owner in the village I am acutely aware of the importance of the downtown to the vibrancy and economic health of our community. My growing up in the town and being a lifelong participant and user gives me a good understanding of the importance of upgrading and maintaining of the village recreational facilities.

What is your opinion of the budget that was recently passed by the village board? What you have done something differently with it?


The village budget is a spending guideline and not a hard and fast spending plan. If kept to artificial limits, a budget could be unworkable and detrimental to the community long term. A budget also cannot be a wish list. Outside factors such as uncontrollable pensions, health insurance, or natural disasters must be taken into account. In the recently passed budget, I wanted to see more spending for law enforcement. The current board worked hard to prepare a fair budget under the required tax cap, designed to provide the services and programs to keep this community a desirable place to live and work. When administering the budget, we must stay within the spending plan. Failure to do so will create deficits that will burden future taxpayers.

What do you think of the current parking situation in the village? How would you address it?

If we wish to maintain and improve the vibrancy and viability of our downtown we must increase the availability of parking. There are a large number of lots that are in poor condition and need repair. I propose to update the lots by removing the concrete medians and restriping them to create more spots. Plans drawn in 2007 for a private building owner suggested that the lot between PC Richards and the back of police headquarters could be increased from the current 500 spots to 600 spots. This is an innovative and low cost solution that could potentially increase all downtown parking by 300 to 600 spots.

Do you have any ideas as to how to continue to attract business to Rockville Centre?

Providing a strong and vibrant downtown will continue to attract business. Increasing the parking, keeping the downtown clean, and improving the sidewalks will go a long way to help. The board must continue to work to keep taxes low and provide necessary services such as public works, sanitation and public safety.

Aside from those mentioned above, what do you think is the biggest issue facing the village?


I believe the need to provide services such as public safety, sanitation and public works in a cost efficient manner is the biggest challenge the board faces on a daily basis.

What is the village’s greatest strength and weakness?

This village's greatest strength is our residents and their diversity. Their willingness to volunteer as a firefighter, auxiliary police officer, coach, and mentor allow us to create and maintain the wonderful village we live in. The humanity demonstrated by organizations such as the RVC Community Fund that has helped those in need for over 25 years is another great strength. The village has a desperate need for parking and upgraded athletic facilities.

If you are elected, what is the one thing you’d like to see accomplished during your term?


I would like to see the expansion of parking in the downtown that will allow Rockville Centre to create and maintain a successful business district.

Would you like to add anything else?


The village recently instituted a policy whereby the franchise for towing cars from accidents and impounds was awarded to the highest responsible bidder. This increased the non-tax revenue from towing licenses in the village by tens of thousands of dollars and has provided the public with better towing service. I believe that we can improve the taxi service in town in a similar fashion by allowing competing taxi companies to bid to provide service and at the same time set the required service parameters. The taxi companies would then be required to provide better service to the residents while increasing non-tax revenue to the village.


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