Tuesday’s ballot for village trustee contains only two names, incumbents John Tufarelli and Virginia Clavin-Higgins. The pair are seeking re-election to serve on the village board for the next four years.
Tufarelli, 50, was first elected in 2007. He said that the last four years have been difficult, with the deaths of Mayor Ed Cahill and Deputy Mayor Guido Cirenza, but the village board has been able to keep its focus on delivering services to residents while keeping taxes down. “Through all of the ups and downs, our mindset stayed the same,” Tufarelli said.
Clavin-Higgins, 49, is the newest member of the village board. She was appointed to fill a vacancy in October, created when Ed Fare was elected mayor. Her mother, Rosanna Clavin, served as the village’s first female trustee. Clavin-Higgins said she has enjoyed the opportunity to follow in her mother’s footsteps.
She said that her primary issue in this campaign is taxes. Valley Stream is a blue-collar community where many people live on fixed incomes or work several jobs to make ends meets, she said, and for that reason, the village board must avoid raising taxes. “It’s about being responsible,” she said.
Clavin-Higgins also supports efforts to increase the village’s revenue without raising taxes. She said she likes an idea being considered by the village board to repurpose underutilized municipal parking lots and rent spaces to commercial vehicle owners.
Tufarelli said he wants to make sure that the services the village offers remain intact. It’s important, he said, that the streets are in good condition, the garbage gets picked up, the trees are trimmed and the parks are kept clean. Additionally, he wants a responsive village government that immediately addresses problems brought to its attention. “We want to do the right thing by the residents,” he said.
Tufarelli, 50, was first elected in 2007. He said that the last four years have been difficult, with the deaths of Mayor Ed Cahill and Deputy Mayor Guido Cirenza, but the village board has been able to keep its focus on delivering services to residents while keeping taxes down. “Through all of the ups and downs, our mindset stayed the same,” Tufarelli said.
Clavin-Higgins, 49, is the newest member of the village board. She was appointed to fill a vacancy in October, created when Ed Fare was elected mayor. Her mother, Rosanna Clavin, served as the village’s first female trustee. Clavin-Higgins said she has enjoyed the opportunity to follow in her mother’s footsteps.
She said that her primary issue in this campaign is taxes. Valley Stream is a blue-collar community where many people live on fixed incomes or work several jobs to make ends meets, she said, and for that reason, the village board must avoid raising taxes. “It’s about being responsible,” she said.
Clavin-Higgins also supports efforts to increase the village’s revenue without raising taxes. She said she likes an idea being considered by the village board to repurpose underutilized municipal parking lots and rent spaces to commercial vehicle owners.
Tufarelli said he wants to make sure that the services the village offers remain intact. It’s important, he said, that the streets are in good condition, the garbage gets picked up, the trees are trimmed and the parks are kept clean. Additionally, he wants a responsive village government that immediately addresses problems brought to its attention. “We want to do the right thing by the residents,” he said.
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