Manorhaven Mayoral Election Candidates: Meet Jim Avena

PORT WASHINGTON, NY — Village elections are planned this month featuring a pair of mayoral duels in Manorhaven and Flower Hill.

In Manorhaven, incumbent Mayor Jim Avena will face a challenge from Vincent Costa on Sept. 15. Avena took over the mayoral office in 2016 after defeating Gary Pagano. He is running on the Manorhaven Residents Party ticket.

The party is running on a platform that government became stronger during Avena's tenure, including running a balanced budget, improving the village's bond rating, opening Morgan's Dock, launching the Manorhaven Boulevard project, preventing development on marine property, and cracking down on unlawful over-occupancy code violations. The ticket, which will appear as Row A on ballots, includes incumbent Trustee Priscilla von Roeschla and Joe Zimbardi.

Costa is running as a part of the Manorhaven Liberty Party, which has expressed concerns about development in the area, including what it sees as over-development and an inequitable favoring of builders over neighbors. Costa's ticket, which will appear as Row B on ballots, includes Harry Farina and Walter Peters.

Patch has reached out to both candidates to fill out our 2020 candidate questionnaire. Here are their responses, lightly edited for clarity.

See also:

• Manorhaven Mayor Election Candidates: Meet Vincent Costa
  
• Manorhaven Mayoral Candidates' Forum: Start Time, How To Watch
• Mail-In Voting In New York: Deadlines, How To Get A Ballot
• New Yorkers Can Now Apply Online For Absentee Ballot

Jim Avena

Age as of Election Day (Nov. 3): 76

Town of residence: Manorhaven, Port Washington

Position Sought: Town Office (Mayor)

Party Affiliation: Manorhaven Residents Party

Family:

I am engaged to lifelong Port Washington resident Antoinette Lewis. I have a son and a daughter. My daughter lives in Port Washington with her husband and three daughters. My son lives in Texas with his wife and four children. Between my and Antoinette's children, we have 10 grandchildren!

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? No

Education: Long Island University, B.S. Accounting

Occupation: Retired; spent over 30 years in the financial services industry, including serving as president of investment firm Cantor Fitzgerald.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office: None

Campaign website: ManorhavenResidentsParty.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am seeking a third term as mayor to keep moving Manorhaven forward by continuing to make dramatic improvements to our infrastructure, nature preserve, waterfront, neighborhoods and business district.

The single most pressing issue facing our nation/state/community is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Preserving quality of life in our beautiful waterfront community while keeping taxes down. Over the four years I've been mayor, my finance background has helped the Village turn around our finances to increase our bond rating by four points to AA+ (the highest it's ever been) and reach a current budget surplus of $300,000 to be used in case of an emergency.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I believe my finance and leadership background has served the village well. The government is very efficiently run, we are paving roads, fixing our sewers and turning unused eyesores into waterside parks, gardens and trails. In fact, our beautification efforts that include planting a good number of trees has enabled us to obtain Tree City USA designation from The Arbor Day Foundation.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)? (N/A)

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

We plan to continue to improve quality of life, advance the village's fiscal health, further enhance Manorhaven's beauty and waterfront access. This began with abolishing alternate side parking in winter, upgrading and repairing our failing sewer system, paving and repairing roads, being tough on illegal over-occupancy and flagrant code violations, balancing the budget with a five-year plan, achieving an AA+ bond rating, building a substantial surplus with average annual tax increases of only about $25 per household, completing Morgan's Dock Park and dramatically expanding the Nature Preserve. The $3 million Manorhaven Boulevard project is planned to start this fall thanks to my and Priscilla von Roeschlaub's work with County Legislator Delia DeRiggi-Whitton.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

Beyond the points mentioned above, my accounting education and overall financial and management experience has prepared me well for working with village staff and residents to match our government's performance with the beauty of our special village. Many residents have remarked on how clean and well cared for Manorhaven is now, as well as their appreciation for our excellent snow removal performance and finally getting roads repaved and repaired. We're also proud that a lot of the improvements have been funded through grants that do not cost the village anything.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

When I was in office candidate school, my commanding officer said to me, "Candidate, never lose sight of the mission." This is a pearl of wisdom that has served me well throughout my military, professional and personal life.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I am very proud to serve as the mayor of the Village of Manorhaven. I have always tried to do the best possible job with any position I have ever held and am pleased about the excellent financial and infrastructural health our board and staff have brought the village.

I am also honored to have served in the U.S. Army, reaching the rank of 1st lieutenant and volunteering on the board of the Senior Citizens Center, as well as for Our Lady of Fatima Outreach Center. I am also a member of the Port Washington Sons of Italy John Marino Lodge and Knights of Columbus.