Supervisor Jennifer DeSena outlines her plan for North Hempstead
North Hempstead Supervisor Jennifer DeSena delivered her third State of the Town address on Friday, January 26 at the Clubhouse at Harbor Links in Port Washington. The speech was part of a luncheon program hosted by the League of Women Voters of Port Washington – Manhasset. This was Supervisor DeSena’s third State of the Town address. She shared the Town’s many successes under the first two years of her administration and laid out her goals and vision for 2024 and beyond.
The character of the Town
“The scope, size and diversity of our town is what gives North Hempstead its character and its strength. It also presents us with unique opportunities. By drawing on all these perspectives, we can create a truly unique and prosperous community. This is a wonderful opportunity that I do not intend to overlook. We are a multifaceted community comprising families, groups and organizations all with their own dreams and aspirations. As Town Supervisor I have prioritized collaboration with a diverse array of local stakeholders to hear the concerns of our residents and take appropriate action to create positive change. Managing these varied objectives and concerns is no easy task. But we must stay committed to the ideal that what is good for the individual is also good for the town, that what distinguishes one community also distinguishes the town. Because while we are all here today, we must remember: we may comprise many unique communities and neighborhoods, but we are one town. As supervisor, I’ve worked to create a renewed sense of collaboration among our community leaders and constituents. I’m also continuing to build a team of experienced government and private sector professionals who know how to turn vision into reality, many of whom are gathered in this room today, each with their own valuable experience and perspectives. Through this spirit of collaboration, we’ve been able to accomplish so much.”
A tax-payer first mentality
“During a period in which many residents have faced great economic uncertainty, we have streamlined town government wherever possible to ease their tax burdens. Since my first day in office, my guiding principle has been returning the town of North Hempstead to a taxpayer first mentality and I believe we’ve made great progress in this regard. I’m proud to have delivered tax cuts to our residents in each of my first two town budgets, including a 10% cut this year. Amidst challenging economic times, leadership is measured by results, not promises. We were able to provide millions of dollars of property tax relief to our residents, thanks to a holistic vision for the town as a whole, but more must and will be done. This is possible thanks to our commitment to putting taxpayers first and working with partners in government to find alternate funding services, such as grant money, to make necessary improvements to town facilities and services. We’ve carefully leveraged federal funds we received as a result of the pandemic to get the maximum use out of every dollar available for our residents. For example, our plan for major improvements on Westbury Ave and Carle Place is nearing its start. After securing federal ARPA funds, we have coordinated with Nassau County to not only overhaul the road, but will include curbing and sidewalks and improve safety conditions with new streetlights and signage. This focus on commuter and pedestrian safety is also emblematic of our commitment to put residents’ safety first.”
Transparency
“In a time when mistrust of government and elected officials is high all over the country, we have led our town in an open, honest and transparent way. Through our landmark North Hempstead TV, our award winning government access TV channel, we have provided an example of transparency to which many other local governments aspire. In addition to the relief my first two town budgets provided to residents, I also carried out the most transparent budget approval process in town history, maintaining our commitment to public hearings and work sessions so residents could have their voices heard.”
Filling key personnel roles
“The only thing certain when it comes to the economy is that nothing is certain. As such, holding the line on taxes for our residents and our businesses remains an essential priority. This year we negotiated and renewed the collective bargaining agreement with our employees’ union with a fair agreement that provides real living wages, reduced health care costs, and educational and training opportunities for all employees. Again, thank you to our CSEA representatives for working with us to find common ground and achieve a solid contract. This will help to ensure that we are able to attract and retain the quality workforce that our town residents deserve. Our mission to improve our town’s building department continues as we await the results of an historic independent audit by the Nassau County comptroller’s office expected in the coming weeks. The building department is one of the most forward-facing, necessary services that the town administers and it must be able to be relied on. With this report’s findings, we will be better able to improve the department’s processes making it services more dependable and user friendly for our residents and businesses.”
Public Safety and
infrastructure
“We have invested in critical infrastructure such as our roads, sewers and water fronts, and we’ll continue this commitment to our infrastructure townwide. While communities across the country have been ravaged by the destructive evil of drugs, we established the town of North Hempstead Substance Misuse Advisory Council, enabling us as public officials to do everything in our power to save lives through prevention, treatment and recovery. During a critical time in the housing market, when inflation remains high and the fundamental American dream of homeownership is out of reach for so many of our young Long Islanders, we have fought strenuously for local control of zoning to determine what type of development is consistent with the character of our communities and what gives our residents the best chance to continue to live in a town they recognize and love.”
Looking Forward
“A major focus in my second term will be developing a new town Master Plan. Formulated over 40 years ago, the original master plan no longer reflects the current needs of our residents. In order to address the needs of our residents into the next generation, we must update our master plan to address quality of life and sustainable the expectations. Doing so will deliver the results that the original plan once sought.”
“As we begin to address the need to expand or reimagine our town services, we must also retain our town’s commitment to sustainable and environmentally conscious government, safeguarding the health of our community for future generations… We’ll also tackle projects town wide rather than breaking them down along district lines. This will allow us to greatly expediate critical Town projects and take full advantage of economies of scale. Take, for example, our town-wide commitment to converting all streetlights to economically and environmentally more effective LED lighting… If we committed to this at the town wide level, I’m confident we could achieve 100% LED conversion within 18 to 24 months.”
“Our parks and fields will continue to receive much needed upgrades from new playgrounds to improve turf and new recreation options so residents of all ages can say Active and Safe. We also need to turn our attention toward our town buildings and other facilities which will undergo long neglected work to better meet our future needs such as HVAC and security upgrades.”
“Working together, we have the ability and the passion to build a lasting community, one that celebrates and uplifts its diversity and history. In my first two years as town supervisor, it has been an honor to work for you, and I am grateful for the opportunity to continue for the next two years.”
