Town of North Hempstead Supervisor
Description:
Candidates (choose 1):
Judi Bosworth
Party: DEM, WFP, IND
Biographical Info:
Campaign Phone: (516) 362-1786
Campaign Web Site: https://judibosworth.com
Campaign Email: friendsofjudibosworth@gmail.com
City/Town of Residence: Great Neck
Prior Civic Service: I am currently serving my third term as Supervisor of the Town of North Hempstead, prior to this position; I was a Nassau County Legislator for six years and served as a member of the Great Neck Board of Education for 16 years. Before my time in office I was involved in a significant number of community and Civic organizations, many of which I am still active in today. The organizations include various Kiwanis Clubs, Chambers of Commerce, Rotary Club, Lions Club, Great Neck Manhasset Child Care Partnership and the United Community Fund.
Questions:
Q: As sea levels rise and flooding and erosion become greater threats to our community, what specific actions will you take to address these challenges? How will you budget and ensure that our town is prepared to thrive in the face of these changes?
A: This is an important issue that will require proactive and preventative measures be taken by today’s elected officials. The Town is currently in the process of planning the redevelopment of North Hempstead Beach Park. While this project will be robust, I am ensuring that we remain committed to preserving and even expanding the natural space at the park. The current plan calls for the removal of 1.5 acres of concrete parking lots, which will be converted into green, open spaces. We will be introducing bioswales to the park, which will improve drainage and allow runoff to flow into the nearby natural wetlands, which will also be restored over the course of the project. It was essential during the planning phases of this project to make these wetlands a priority, as they have fallen victim to erosion over the years. By restoring these areas, we will be preserving the wetlands for many future generations. In response to recent historic storms that have hit the east coast, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are investigating ways to manage flood risk in New York City. One such idea they are exploring is the creation of floodgates at the Throgs Neck Bridge. This is a situation that I, along with my administration, are closely monitoring, as these gates may benefit New York City, but could possibly increase flood levels for our waterfront communities here in North Hempstead. Additionally, the increase in flood levels would have a negative impact on the marine ecology in Manhasset Bay and Hempstead Harbor, so I will continue to be vigilant as the US Army Corps of Engineers continues their studies. Unfortunately, the meeting scheduled for October is the same night as a Town Board Meeting, preventing me from attending, but my staff will be in attendance to ensure that our residents’ interests are made clear.
Q: How would you revitalize/better utilize our town’s downtown and commercial districts? What barriers exist to full occupancy of storefronts and what would you do to address them?
A: Under my leadership the Town has initiated a Cultural Master Plan. We are working with planning and urban design firm Civic Moxie to help create an all-encompassing Cultural Master Plan that will highlight the arts, culture, restaurants and commerce offerings of North Hempstead and the 31 villages within its borders. Our goal is for the Town to become a tourism destination, encompassing government, business and private organizations working together to highlight historic sites, recreational spaces, and museums. Civic Moxie is currently developing action kits, which will provide us with summaries and suggestions on how to move forward. We hope to begin working on pilot programs this year which will provide informational resources to landlords, local Chambers and BIDs to help revitalize our downtowns and their empty storefronts. It is important to me that local government play a supportive role in attracting new businesses to our downtowns. One concern that has been communicated to me in this regard has been the Town’s Building Department. It was made clear to me that this department needed to be more accessible and expeditious when dealing with both business owners and residents. Under my leadership, we have made it a priority to review permits submitted by new businesses. We are looking forward to moving on to use a new cloud-based application which will enable us to automate, consolidate and streamline Building Department processes. The new program will help manage all Building Department processes including permitting and licensing. The online portal will also allow applicants to view their information about permits, licenses and status of permit and licenses from the web. The ultimate goal is to create one seamless process that utilizes modern technology in order to make it easier for those working with our Building Department.
Q: What is the most significant or pressing issue facing the Town of North Hempstead, and how would you address it?
A: I believe our residents are most concerned about high taxes. Taxpayers want to know that elected officials are using their hard-earned tax dollars wisely, and my fiscally conservative budgets, Aaa bond rating, and delivery of services show these are my priorities as well. Maintaining a Aaa rating, the highest rating a municipality can receive, means that we can get lower borrowing costs and we are able to pass these savings on to our taxpayers. We’ve also reduced our debt by $31.4 million since 2014. All of our budgets have stayed within the New York State cap, without cutting services to our residents. In fact, we continue to enhance programming, to expand our services and to provide excellent constituent outreach. Additionally, in 2018 North Hempstead had the second-lowest recorded payroll increase from all of Long Island’s Towns and cities. That same year, we also had the lowest increase in overtime among all of Long Island’s towns and cities. Under my leadership, North Hempstead will continue to be thoughtful and diligent in our financial planning.
David P. Redmond
Party: REP, CON, LBT
Biographical Info:
Campaign Phone: (516) 500-9417
Campaign Web Site: https://davidpredmond.com
Campaign Email: dpr@davidpredmond.com
City/Town of Residence: Mineola, NY
Prior Civic Service: Mineola Fire Department Firefighter (15 Year Active Member)
Questions:
Q: As sea levels rise and flooding and erosion become greater threats to our community, what specific actions will you take to address these challenges? How will you budget and ensure that our town is prepared to thrive in the face of these changes?
A: Erosion is a constant and pervasive threat for us on Long Island that will not go away, even with the best environmental policy at every level of government. Therefore, we will use the best practices for mitigating erosion, which are well established. The costs can easily be budgeted for by the Town, so long as we stop wasting money on over budget public works projects, such as the recent Clinton G. Martin Pool Park renovation. The savings from properly managed projects across our Town will be used for such vital services including shoreline protection, and other services to residents that are currently being underserved. We need to hire stable leadership for Superintendent of Highway, in a timely fashion, to ensure Town roads are properly taken care of to mitigate flash flooding effects and allow for proper drainage where possible. It should not take over two years to fill this position, and the hire should stay for longer than four months. When the town does not have the proper leadership in position, the value you get for your tax dollars is degraded.
Q: How would you revitalize/better utilize our town’s downtown and commercial districts? What barriers exist to full occupancy of storefronts and what would you do to address them?
A: A major barrier to business and residential entry that is within the Town’s full control is the building department. This is a long and ongoing problem area that is still being promised to undergo “common sense” reforms, term after term. I have the knowledge and skillset to implement better practices and policies. My formal education in engineering, and my self-taught technology skills, which I apply every day to help local organizations and businesses, are essential to get the quality of service to where it needs to be for a 21st century economy. You will get actual results with Supervisor Redmond in charge, rather than the stagnant status quo we are all forced to deal with at this moment. The improved time frames and responsiveness by the building department under new management will get more residents and businesses in place sooner, in turn encouraging others to start the process in the first place. Our local economy will benefit by eliminating these current logjams, which slow the velocity of money circulating in the town.
Q: What is the most significant or pressing issue facing the Town of North Hempstead, and how would you address it?
A: The lack of leadership, as established by a pattern of problems and shortfalls in service across the board, is the most pressing issue for our great Town. This is the common denominator that will alleviate ongoing issues among various departments. I will bring a refreshing and modern mindset to the Town Board, that no one else on the board currently offers. I have a unique capability to deliver better performance for our local government. The contrast in choice this election is stark, not based on personality or character, but in ability to lead the Town in order to maximize value for taxpayers and all residents who rely on town parks and services. The morale of those working for the town will increase, and so will the satisfaction of businesses, homeowners, local governments, and residents who deal with the town and its leadership. I look forward to providing the positive influence that is necessary to keep people living and working in North Hempstead.
