Floral Park residents seem set to keep their village leadership around for another term.
The village’s mayor, Kevin Fitzgerald, and two of its trustees, Deputy Mayor Lynn Pombonyo and Frank Chiara, are running uncontested in the March 18 election.
All three candidates are longtime village residents who have served on the Board of Trustees for multiple terms, worked in public service or volunteer positions within the village, and said they look forward to continuing to serve the community in their next term.
Village residents who are registered to vote can cast their ballots on Election Day between 12 p.m. and 9 p.m. at the Alliance Firehouse if they live in Election District One, at the Atlantic Avenue Firehouse if in ED Four, or at the village’s recreation and pool buildings if they live in EDs Two or Three.
Fitzgerald, who is finishing up his first term as mayor, served on the board as a trustee for 10 years prior to 2021. As trustee, he served as the fire commissioner, library commissioner, pool and recreation commissioner, liaison to the Police Department, liaison to the Building Department, and liaison to both the North End and the Hillcrest Civic Association.
Outside of his work as mayor and trustee, he has also served as a coach in the Floral Park Screaming Eagles Roller Hockey League and the Floral Park Little League, was the secretary of the North End Civic Association, and a member of the village’s grievance board since 2008. Beyond village work, he’s an executive director at JP Morgan Chase.
During his first mayoral term, he said his administration initiated a handful of construction projects, including the refurbishment of the village’s multi-purpose rink, a new sidewalk around and LED lights inside the recreation center, and a new handicap-accessible entrance to the library. His administration also renovated equipment across village buildings, including installing solar panels on the roof of the Department of Public Works building.
Fitzgerald also said his administration received grants for new police equipment and other village projects to ensure residents receive government services at lower costs.
Pombonyo, the village’s current deputy mayor, has served on the village’s Board of Trustees since 2014 and as the superintendent of Schools for the Floral Park-Bellerose School District since 2005 for a combined 18 years of elected public service to the village. She has served as the commissioner or liaison to every village department since joining the Board of Trustees and has been the longtime liaison to the Floral Park Conservation Society and Centennial Gardens, the Coalition of Resources for Education and Wellness, the Floral Park and Covert Avenue Chambers of Commerce, and the Hillcrest Civic Association.
As a trustee, Pombonyo said she has helped bring new officers into the village’s Police Department, ensured that the village’s Police and Fire Departments have ongoing training and planned schedules of equipment and vehicle replacement, engaged in roadwork and drainage improvements, committed to a Tree City USA program of tree planting and care and more.
Chiara, who has served as a trustee for eight years, has acted as commissioner of the Floral Park Fire Department, Police Department, Recreational and Pools Department, Building Department, and Library. He has also served on the Beautification Committee, New Residents Committees, Ethics Board, the Belmont Park Advisory Board, and the West End Civic Association as a liaison.
He has also been a coach for the Floral Park Indians Soccer League and Little League baseball and basketball. Currently, he serves on the Coalition for Resources for Education and Wellness, which advocates for local adults and youth.
Outside of his work in the village, Chiara has had a career in law enforcement. He previously worked with the FBI and is currently the chief detective investigator at the Bronx District Attorney’s Office.
Even though the election is uncontested, Chiara said he was eager to gain the support of residents to continue serving the village.
“It is an honor to serve this wonderful community, collaborating with Mayor Kevin Fitzgerald, Deputy Mayor Lynn Pombonyo, and fellow Trustees Michael Longobardi and Jenifer Stewart,” he said. “This team, along with our village staff and the many dedicated volunteers work together, making the Village of Floral Park a wonderful place to live and raise a family.”
All three candidates are running under the Floral Park Citizens Party, a longstanding non-partisan village party.
