Town in need of watchdogs, not gatekeepers: Madden

Tom McCarthy
Libertarian candidate for Hempstead Supervisor Diane Madden said that she decided to run after current Hempstead Supervisor Laura Gillen's "cold" reaction to a county audit of the town's animal shelter. (Photo courtesy of Diane Madden)

What is needed in the Town of Hempstead is a group of outsider watchdogs and no more political party gatekeepers, Diane Madden, the Libertarian candidate for Hempstead supervisor, said in a telephone interview Monday.

Madden’s campaign is simple, she said. Her goal is to bring a “people’s administration” into the town. The two-party system has failed across Long Island and residents are beginning to agree with that theory, Madden said.

“It will not be ‘my administration,’ it will be the people’s administration,” Madden said. 

Madden said that she has had a perfect attendance record at Town Board meetings since 2010 and that while she has been “pigeonholed as an animal person” she has also brought up issues regarding the treatment of the town’s workforce, how money is moved around in the town and the town’s treatment of minorities. 

There are many great employees working only part-time for the town who are getting passed over in favor of political patronage, she said.

Madden said that he has not received any political donations and will not take a salary as supervisor.

She is running against Laura Gillen, the Democratic incumbent, and Republican Donald X. Clavin Jr., the town receiver of taxes.

She said that there is a lot of corruption to expose in the Town of Hempstead. The difference between Madden and Gillen, the first Democrat to serve as town supervisor in over 100 years, is that she “picks and chooses” what corruption in the town to go after, Madden said.

“Laura Gillen alienates a lot of people,” Madden said. 

Madden said that she was a strong supporter of Gillen’s 2017 campaign for supervisor, saying, “I was the one holding the umbrella over her head” during her candidacy announcement.

What drove Madden to run was seeing Gillen’s “cold reaction” to Nassau County Comptroller Jack Schnirman’s audit of Hempstead’s animal shelter in Wantagh, where Schnirman’s office reported that the town’s “Tails of Hope” charity program to finance animal care operated with a “lack of transparency” and other instances of mismanagement of town funds were reported.

Schnirman’s suggestion was to bring in “outside help” to the shelter, of which Gillen has brought in zero, Madden said. She said that staff members within the animal shelter who  strongly supported Gillen’s first run no longer do. 

She was critical of a policy passed by the Town Board allowing town commissioners to hire employees with up to $50,000 contracts with no Town Board or public knowledge. She said she would also call for the resignations of the town attorney and the town compliance officer.

“The public needs protection from elected officials,” Madden said.

On downtown revitalization efforts, Madden said, “I’m more of a believer in fixing what we have.” 

Madden said that rather than immediately funding pilot programs or special interest organizations it is important to set up community meetings and, as town supervisor, to meet with civic organizations to discuss the impacts of certain projects. 

On the Belmont arena project, she said that the “community hasn’t been heard” and that the Village of Floral Park’s filing of an Article 78 lawsuit against the state agency overseeing the project was a brave move. 

“I stand with them,” Madden said of the village.

On the LIRR’s building of a third track project, she said that while she supports the notion of finding ways of making travel around Long Island easier, as town supervisor she would hire outside independent researchers to study the impact and plans for the project rather than relying on studies from special interest groups.

“I want separate, independent studies done,” Madden said.

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