Joshua Lafazan, who is seeking to represent District 18 in the county Legislature, is accustomed to breaking age barriers when being elected to office.
He was elected to the Syosset school board in 2012 at age 18, becoming the youngest public office holder in state history.
Lafazan, a self-described Independent who is also running on the Democrat line, says county corruption is the No. 1 issue and has called for limits on campaign contributions by county contractors; term limits for elected officials; an end to taxpayer-funded political mailers; affordable housing for recent college graduates and increased funding to fight heroin abuse.
He also said he supports the creation of an independent inspector general with subpoena power to oversee all county contracts.
Lafazan is opposed by Republican Donald MacKenzie, who is completing his second term in the Legislature, is the chair of the Towns, Villages & Cities Committee and has touted a record of holding the line on taxes, improving county ethics and reducing crime.
MacKenzie might start by looking in the mirror when it comes to improving county ethics.
MacKenzie was one of three county legislators — Presiding Officer Norman Glansalves was another — who during his last campaign mailed at taxpayer expense a postcard that falsely claimed that the county had not raised property taxes for five years – including 2015. County property taxes actually went up 3.4 percent in 2015.
Then acting District Attorney Madeline Singas asked for an investigation of the mailing by federal prosecutors.
When asked by the League of Women Voters this year about county corruption and gerrymandering of voting districts he had no response.
This can explain MacKenzie’s district, which includes East Hills, Roslyn Heights, Greenvale, Glen Cove, Bayville, East Norwich, Glen Head, Old Westbury, Mill Neck, Locust Valley, Muttontown, Jericho, Syosset and Woodbury.
As we said of MacKenzie the last time he ran against a different opponent, Lafazan has a thin résumé but in this case we prefer what we don’t know about Lafazan than what we already know about MacKenzie.
We endorse Joshua Lafazan to represent the District 18 in the Nassau County Legislature.
