East Hills Deputy Mayor Brian Meyerson, soon to take top post, looks to keep property taxes frozen

Michael Koblenz is proud of what he has accomplished in 32 years as mayor of East Hills, from the 50-acre, village-run park to a 16-year property tax freeze.

But Koblenz, an attorney specializing in business law, said the time has come to "slow down a little."

"I've got four grandchildren," he said. "That's important now, because they're young."

In October, Koblenz will step down and appoint Brian Meyerson, the village's deputy mayor since 2024, as his replacement. Meyerson served as a village trustee from 2014 to 2024, and as village prosecutor from 2011 to 2014. He has worked closely with Koblenz in recent years, the mayor said, learning what it takes to lead the village.

Meyerson, 56, will then seek reelection in March.

"We don't know who's going to come out of the woodwork, who might want to run," Koblenz said. "But whoever it is, I can tell you they haven't contributed to the community the way he has." 

East Hills is a village of about 7,300, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, to the east of Roslyn. Before Koblenz took over, he said, outsiders had just assumed the village was part of Roslyn. "We put it on the map," he said.

Meyerson, an attorney, said in an interview with Newsday he wants to keep property taxes frozen while not decreasing services the village provides. He wants to create a direct line of communication with residents and build an indoor sports complex.

"I know I'll never be able to fill his shoes," Meyerson said of Koblenz. "But I don't want to fill his shoes. He's Mayor Koblenz, and I'm Brian Meyerson. That's what I look forward to doing, just bringing a new, fresh attitude and approach to the village and keep what he built alive."

Newsday spoke to Meyerson about taking the reins as mayor. The following answers have been condensed and edited for clarity. 

What are some of your goals for your tenure as mayor?

We have ways where people can give suggestions online. I want it to be that anyone who has an issue or has a suggestion — the village is good; it's not perfect, and it never will be perfect — I want it to be that people have the opportunity to say things and make suggestions and be heard. 

I'm going to give my cellphone [number] out. I want them to know I'm a resident here. I'm not some person who is unreachable. 

I want to keep home values high. That includes making sure the little things are done, like the garbage is picked up. It just keeps the community nice and clean.

What is an infrastructure project you would like to see built?

My dream would be an indoor sports complex, where you could have anything. It could be used to play basketball, it could be used to play cards, it could be used for kids to have little parties.

The village is great in the summer. We don't have a lot in the wintertime. I consider the park to be, like, the watercooler. That's where people go to meet people, to talk to people, to hear what's going on in the village.

It's a good amount of money, so I would see if we could get some sort of grant for it.

Are there any changes to the village code you would like to see?

The main thing is we want to keep homes in character with the community. We want nice homes, but we don't want McMansion homes. Some of the plots are not that big, and there has to be some limits on what we can allow in certain areas, because we do have areas with higher plot sizes and lower plot sizes.

I want to keep that consistent, where the plot is not just a house without a backyard. 

That's what we have, kind of, in the code, and I'd like to keep it like that. I want young families to move in, and it's an old house and they want to make it much bigger and nicer for a growing family, and I'm absolutely all for that, but I also want there to be limits on the amount of floor area ratio that can encompass a smaller plot.

The village in March approved a $2.5 million bond for a new playground. When should residents expect the playground to be finished?

We are so close. We're trying so hard to have it for Labor Day [Sept. 7]. I don't think we will, but we're getting so close. I want it to be there for the kids, when they go back to school and the pool is not open, and they have something else. I think it's going to be amazing; it has a zip line. I'm hoping in the next two to three weeks.

By Joshua Needelman

joshua.needelman@newsday.com

Joshua Needelman covers the Town of North Hempstead for Newsday. A Long Island native and University of Maryland graduate, his work has appeared in publications including The New York Times and The Washington Post.