In a competitive race featuring two former local police officers, retired Nassau County Police Chief Sean McCarthy ousted Port Washington Police Commissioner Brian Staley by more than 200 votes.
Port Washington residents flocked to the polls Tuesday night to vote for commissioners in four special district elections: the Port Washington Police District, Port Washington Water District, Port Washington Water Pollution Control District and Port Washington Garbage District.
As reported at the polls Tuesday night, McCarthy received 632 votes, or 59.3% of the total votes, with Staley falling behind with 428 votes or 40.2% of the total. The election also received five write-ins.
McCarthy, a nearly 25-year Port Washington resident, is a former chief of the Nassau County Police Department who retired in July 2018 after working for the department for more than 33 years and rising through the ranks.
He previously told Blank Slate that his time in the police force has given him a diversity of experiences, from his time as a patrol officer to the business and administrative skills developed while in his higher-ranking posts.
After learning of his election win, McCarthy told Blank Slate that he was glad to be done with campaigning for his first election and is looking forward to stepping into the position.
“The real work can start now,” McCarthy said.
The newly elected police commissioner said his focus upon taking office is working to advance the police department’s new headquarters and getting familiar with the department’s staff and operations.
“I want to sink my teeth into the building,” McCarthy said.
Staley was elected to the seat in 2020, concluding his time as commissioner after three years of service.
The now exiting police commissioner began his career in 1982 as a foot patrol officer for the Port Washington Police Department, rising through the ranks to his final post of deputy chief and retiring in 2014.
He is the department’s first black police commissioner and its first black deputy police chief.
The other competitive election of Port Washington’s special districts was the race for its water commissioner, with the incumbent Water Commissioner Peter Meyer securing another term.
Meyer defeated business and technology consultant Charles “Chuck” Idol and local general contractor Mark Gibbons by about 200 votes.
Meyer won with 468 votes, or 45.6% of the total votes, with Idol receiving 289 votes, 28.1% of the votes, and Gibbons receiving 259 votes, 25.2% of the votes. The district race also received 11 write-ins.
Meyer, a Port Washington resident of about 50 years and owner of Meyer Mechanical Services, has served as one of Port’s water commissioners for 23 years.
The other two district races in Port Washington, the Port Washington Water Pollution Control District and Port Washington Garbage District, each featured the incumbents running in an uncontested election and ultimately winning their re-election bid Tuesday night.
Port Washington Water Pollution Control District Commissioner Melanie Cassens secured her seat with 518 votes. The district’s commissioner election also received 23 write-ins.
Cassens was elected to the board in 2018 to finish out the last two years of the term left by her father, John Olszewski, after his death the July before the election.
Port Washington Garbage District Commissioner Paul Oleksiw won with 503 votes. The district election received 16 write-ins.
Oleksiw is a local business owner and lifelong resident of Port Washington. Before serving as commissioner, Oleksiw was a member of the Board of Directors of the Port Washington Business Improvement District.
The Roslyn Water District also held an election for a water commissioner, which was not included in the Port Washington special district election but services parts of Port Washington.
Incumbent Water Commissioner William Costigan ran unopposed in the election and secured his re-election with 28 votes cast for him.
Costigan, a Roslyn community member of 42 years who owns a printing and binding company, has been a water commissioner for the Roslyn Water District since 2002.
