Two years ago, Hempstead Town Supervisor Don Clavin touted his commitment to run an efficient government high on customer service and up-to-date technology in his bid to unseat Laura Gillen, the first Democrat in more than 100 years to hold the post.
Clavin succeeded in ousting Gillen and with the help of a Republican-dominated town council has implemented some changes to a bloated town government that has often placed patronage jobs over good government.
He followed through on his campaign promise to cut the supervisor’s staff in half on the first day in office, froze the budget for 2021 and helped the town receive two credit rating upgrades.
Clavin has also modernized and improved the Building Department, making more services available online and cutting down on pointless roadblocks.
In Hempstead, this is no small feat.
Gillen was unsuccessful in getting approval for five money-saving measures. One of which was a contract to digitize the clerk’s office, create greater transparency and get rid of the 72 typewriters needed to run the office. Yes, 72 typewriters. In 2019.
But the Building Department is also an office rocked by the political problems in the town.
Former department Deputy Commissioner John Novello pleaded guilty to felony charges after stealing $60,000 from the Cedarhurst Republican Committee for which he was executive leader and seeking a loan under false pretenses.
Clavin’s use of $70 million in payroll expenses and about $25 million in town building improvements out of $133 million in COVID-19 funds also raises questions about the town’s financial achievements.
Jason Abelove, a Garden City attorney challenging Clavin, said the town misused the funds intended to help people such as small businesses affected by the pandemic and not previously budgeted town services.
As Newsday pointed out, Clavin could have also helped the Hempstead school district provide students the computers and broadband they desperately needed during COVID-19.
Abelove, who said that as a discrimination lawyer he has been fighting for fairness for 25 years, said the town has gone downhill under Clavin and he will seek to bring back practices from Gillen’s term.
He says he’s running to prioritize lower taxes but has no particularly solid idea for how to do that.
We believe Clavin does. As town receiver of taxes for nearly 20 years, Clavin operated an oasis of modern efficiency in a desert of the out-of-date.
But we are unsure if he is sufficiently willing to upend the political coziness that has dominated Hempstead for so long to achieve those goals.
Hoping that he is, we endorse Don Clavin for Hempstead town supervisor.
