“Experience matters in the county clerk’s office,” Nassau County Clerk Maureen O’Connell said of her bid for re-election. “Without the legal experience and the technological knowledge of the operation, I think that whoever came into this office without that knowledge would be severely handcuffed.”
We could not agree more and strongly endorse O’Connell for re-election.
An East Williston resident, O’Connell served as a trustee and deputy mayor of the village from 1991 to 1998 before being elected to the state Assembly. She was the first woman elected by the 17th District and served on the Assembly’s Judiciary and Insurance and Ethics committees.
After being elected as county clerk in 2005, O’Connell oversaw the digitization of millions of documents ranging from property deeds to veterans’ discharge papers.
As Nassau County and the rest of the world try to regain normalcy after the coronavirus pandemic, O’Connell stressed the importance of having an experienced candidate leading the clerk’s office.
O’Connell, a Republican, began her career as a registered nurse at North Shore University Hospital and has a Bachelor of Science in health care administration from St. Joseph’s College.
O’Connell later received a Juris Doctor from St. John’s University School of Law, practicing in civil litigation, elder law and health regulatory compliance.
That experience, she said, provides her with greater insight on how to interact with the attorneys who consistently use the clerk’s office.
O’Connell also speaks the truth – regardless of party affiliation.
When asked about fees imposed by county Republicans several years ago on recording taxes, O’Connell said they were a bad idea that amounted to little more than taxes by another name. And she repeated that criticism this year after county Republicans voted to rescind the taxes.
O’Connell is opposed by Just Brown, a Democrat from Baldwin. Brown also has experience in the health care sector as a hospital administrator with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Brown received his master’s degree in health administration from Hofstra University.
He is also the president of the Nassau County Board of Visitors, where he advocates for inmate rights and serves on the executive board for Hofstra’s Master of Healthcare Administration Alumni program.
Brown said it is vital that the clerk’s office reaches out to individuals, in the form of seminars or programs, to relay what the office does within the county.
Blank Slate Media strongly endorses Maueen O’Connell for re-election.
