Manhasset-Lakeville Water and Fire District commissioner and chairman Steve Flynn is being challenged for his seat by former Commissioner Donald O’Brien, on Tuesday, Dec. 10, the second time both men have run against each other.
The commission oversees both the fire and water districts, which cover the same geographic area, but the two are technically independent of each other. They serve approximately 45,000 people, who use 7.4 million gallons of water a day, according to the water district’s website. The commission ensures that residents receive clean water and prompt fire safety services.
O’Brien, a Manhasset resident who is a two-term trustee on the board of the Manhasset Public Library, was elected to two terms on the district’s Board of Commissioners in 2010 and 2013 and has critiqued Flynn’s leadership since his election.
He has also said any proposal from Brookfield Properties to develop the Macy’s location in Manhasset should be rejected on the basis of water availability.
Flynn, a former specialist in real estate finance, 27-year veteran volunteer of the Manhasset-Lakeville Fire Department and Village of Plandome public works official who was elected to a three-year term in 2016, could not be reached for comment.
In the 2016 election, Flynn was elected with 552 votes, while O’Brien managed 449.
Polling will be located at the station houses of the Fire District: Company No. 1 Firehouse, at 35 Bayview Avenue in Port Washington; Company No. 3 Firehouse at 25 Prospect Street in Great Neck; Company No. 4 Firehouse at 97 Jayson Avenue in Great Neck; and Company No. 5 Firehouse at 21 78th Avenue in New Hyde Park.
Polls will be open from 12:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.