In the first election where the Unity Party of Stewart Manor has been challenged by the Village Party, both parties are claiming that they are going to change the way Stewart Manor is run.

The Village Party came out with their platform early on, claiming that they are the village's new party. Their slate features Joseph J. Troiano for mayor, John R. Egan for trustee, Kenneth R. Ruff for trustee, and Joanne S. Chevallier for village justice. Among the promises made by the party are: reviewing parking issues with the chamber of commerce and studying the possible use of parking lots behind stores for merchant parking or the issuance of merchant parking permits, conducting a review of meter policies, expanding the pool complex to include more programs and facilities, exploring possible land opportunities for recreational development, and conducting a long-term study for expanded community utilization of the country club. In addition, the party would like to study the feasibility of establishing a police booth within the community, review the effectiveness of the private security service, provide police updates at all village board meetings, and conduct a survey on the effectiveness of the present level of street lighting. The party would also like to study the establishment of an architectural review board; expand the latitude of the zoning board to entertain a wider scope of special conditions and circumstances; enforce maintenance guidelines throughout the village for homeowners, renters, merchants, and landlords; complete renovation of village hall in accordance with bond provisions, build a village website, and increase the utilization of the Four-Village Cable Network.

The Unity Party, which recently released its party platform, calls themselves, "the new Unity Party." In their fliers, the party claims that they are the new party whereas the Village Party is the former administration under a new name.

Those running as Unity Party candidates are: John O'Keefe for mayor; Susan Donahue and Peter Genova, for trustees; and Phil Milone, for village justice. The platform for the party includes: open meetings. The party believes that more public discussion is needed before any projects that affect residents begins; more of a police presence in the village; improvement and upgrade street lighting; the improvement of services that are provided to residents; and accountability for the sound management of village finances.

The Unity Party says they will address the quality of life issues that affect village residents, especially those who live near the country club and Covert Ave., address the traffic problems on Covert Ave. and pedestrian concerns, and restore civic pride and community involvement.

Mayoral candidate John O'Keefe has been a labor leader of 13,000 sanitation workers for 25 years. He negotiated labor contracts with several New York City administrations and has been responsible for millions of dollars in annuity funds as a trustee. He is an inspector of labor management for the NYC Sanitation Department and participated in instituting a productivity program which saves NYC over $50 million annually. O'Keefe is a 30 year resident of Stewart Manor and is the father of nine children.

Trustee candidate Susan Donahue is the director of operations for over two million square feet of commercial property and is responsible for construction oversight, budget preparation, enforcement and management for over 40 building personnel. A resident of Stewart Manor for nine years, she is the mother of two sons.

Trustee candidate Peter Genova is a registered professional nurse who is director of Informational Services for a community hospital. With 12 years of healthcare finance experience, Genova is responsible for an over $1 million budget. He is an active member of the Stewart Manor Volunteer Fire Department and has resided in the village for seven years.

Village Justice candidate Phil Milone is a 13 year resident of the village, who has been practicing trial law for over 18 years. He is active in many charitable, religious, and civic organizations such as the St. Anne's School Enrichment Program; St. Anne's Tiger Club Den leader; Knights of Columbus Past Grand Knight and District Warden; Knight of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem; Elmont Cardinals Youth Football Club director, vice president and coach; Nassau County Republican committeeman; Governor's Committee on the Judiciary former associate counsel, and former arbitrator for the New York City Civil Court.

The Stewart Manor Village election will take place on Tuesday, March 20.