Politics & Government

Santino Challenged by Gillespie in Town Race

Town of Hempstead Councilman Anthony Santino, who has served in the position for 20 years, will be challenged on Nov. 5 by community activist Patrick Gillespie.

The Fourth Council District recently saw some changes, as Woodmere, Woodsburgh and parts of Cedarhurst and Valley Stream were added, while South Hempstead and Baldwin were shifted out (find out what district you live in by clicking here).

See what the longtime councilman and his challenger from Bay Park had to say was the most important issue facing the district in our questionnaire below. 

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Tell us about yourself (age, town, profession, family, etc.).

Santino: I’m a 52 year old resident of East Rockaway, where I grew up and attended public school. My father and sister still live in our hometown. I’ve made public service a cornerstone of my adult life, starting out working for former Congressman Norman Lent. I’ve had the privilege of serving our community as a town councilman since 1993, having previously been elected Trustee and Deputy Mayor of the Incorporated Village of East Rockaway.

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Gillespie: My name is Patrick Gillespie, I am 23 years old, and I am seeking election to the position of the Town of Hempstead's Fourth District Councilman. I am currently employed full time by the Nassau County Board of Elections as a clerk — a position I have held since July of 2012. Excluding the interruption of college at American University, I have lived with my parents and my younger brother in Bay Park since October of 2004.

Why are you running for this position?

Santino: Because despite all that the town has done to protect residents from higher property taxes, more needs to be accomplished. Homeowners are confronting extensive financial & personal hardships, rebuilding their homes & lives in the wake of Sandy. Many residents are also coping with the effects of the prolonged national economic downturn.

In times like these, local government has an obligation to extend a helping hand to ease taxpayers' burdens. I want to continue doing my job responsibly and responsively by listening to and helping our neighbors.

Gillespie: I am running for the position of councilman because I believe the people of the Fourth District and the entirety of the Town of Hempstead are not being properly represented. As a victim of Superstorm Sandy, I have been incredibly disappointed with the failure of the Town of Hempstead to prioritize the issues that are still affecting thousands who were driven out of their homes, specifically in the fourth district which include the devastated areas of Island Park, Oceanside, Bay Park, and East Rockaway.  

The redistricting process held by the Town of Hempstead lacked even a facade of transparency. The map was drawn not to address constituent concerns or to consider a second minority district in the western area of the Town, but instead to increase the number of Republicans residing in District 6, currently represented by Councilman Hudes, and District 4, currently represented by my opponent, Councilman Santino. District 4 and 6 are both up for election this year.  

Finally, as a young man, I am running as an advocate for the young adults in the Town of Hempstead. In both the Herald and the League of Women Voter's website, I have given concrete answers about how I would address the issue of affordable housing faced by young adults, none of which include high rises that would change the suburban nature of the Town.  My opponent has admitted it is a problem and emphasized that high rises are not the solution, but he has not advocated for any policy to address an issue that has led to a 30% decrease in the population of young adults aged 24-34 in the past 20 years.

What qualifies you to serve in the position?

Santino: Two words: my record. Serving our community is an honor – and I look forward to continuing my work to accomplish more for our neighbors. It will continue to be my primary focus to ensure the town maintains its low taxes while providing outstanding services … while ensuring America’s largest township remains a great place to live, work and raise a family.   

Gillespie: Although I have not held political office, my experience in politics is much broader than my age would suggest. At 17 I began an internship with the Nassau County Democratic Committee. During my time at American University I interned for Congresswoman McCarthy and worked on several campaigns including for Annandale, VA, County Supervisor, Woodbridge, VA, State Delegate, and Virginia's Congressional Representative from the 10th District. 

Since graduating from American University with a BA in political science with a concentration in government, I have been an enthusiastic activist. I have been a frequent attendant at East Rockaway School Board meetings and, when my schedule allowed, attended and spoken at East Rockaway Village Meetings, Town of Hempstead Town Halls, and Nassau County Legislative Sessions. The political experience I have in many different areas as well as the ideas I hope to bring to fruition qualify me for this position.

What is your opinion of the most recent budget? Would you have done something differently with it?

Santino: Supervisor Murray and I have cut taxes for three straight years to protect residents from higher property taxes. And thanks to our fiscal management, the town has earned another Aaa bond rating — the highest available — from Wall Street. We are restoring our infrastructure impacted by Sandy and operating all town programs. Our top-notch finances made it possible to waive over $1 million in fees to help Sandy victims.

What is the biggest issue facing the district?

Santino: Protecting our homeowners and residents from future tidal flooding will be a priority. The town and I will work in a collaborative fashion with federal, state and county authorities to take all appropriate steps to harden our infrastructure to protect against another hurricane, storm surge and tidal flooding.

Every level of government must work together so we can prepare for any future extreme weather events that may hit our community. The town has already been at work replacing bulkheads since last year, repairing our Marine Nature Study Area that is a natural barrier against tidal flooding and working around the clock with our building department to help neighbors to raise their homes and apply for FEMA/ICC funds.

Gillespie: The TOH's most important service can and should be economic development. Unfortunately, there are many areas the current administration has overlooked that can be developed and give the town an economic boost. First, the resources and wide area the Hub provides must be used wisely. The current administration has already proved their inability and partisanship in dealing with the development of the Hub around the Nassau Coliseum, and I believe fresh ideas and a voice of advocacy for youth issues must be brought to the forefront as the county and Town again attempt to work together in developing this vital area.  

A second area that the current administration has failed to develop is the downtown areas near the train stations. Although certain areas in Nassau County like Rockville Centre and Farmingdale have proved that downtown areas can be developed with economic gains to improve the quality of life, the town has not made any strides to incorporate these ideas in any other areas that could see successful economic gains. If elected, I would absolutely incorporate economic development in downtowns and the Hub into my vision for the future.

What is the biggest issue facing the town?

Santino: My town board colleagues and I want to pave the way for truly affordable workforce house for those younger people returning home from college, graduate school or military service. The key to this type of housing is that it needs to be within their economic means — so that young people can truly afford to live here.

The easy answer to this problem would be to build high-rise apartments that would forever alter the suburban character of life in America's largest township. The town's approach must be more balanced however especially because we do not wish to overburden our schools or infrastructure with a giant influx of residents nor create sprawling complexes that remain empty with little or no occupancy.

The town, on a case by case basis, continues to approve affordable workforce housing rentals that enhance, not detract, from our prized suburban lifestyle.

Gillespie: The biggest issue facing the TOH is the youth drain that has occurred over the past 20 years. The young adult population in the Town of Hempstead has decreased by about 30% since 1990, and the town has done nothing to address the issue. In fact, Councilman Santino has still failed to give a concrete solution when asked in the LI Herald, the LWV website, and the LWV debate at the Hewlett-Woodmere Library.

To retain our well educated young adults, we must address the most important problem — unaffordable apartments. The average rent in the Town of Hempstead for a legal apartment remains too high for young adults to afford because of the 10% ordinance which mandates 90% of any new development be owned. This makes it difficult for developers to build new apartments, driving up the price of rent. To solve this problem we must first remove the 10% ordinance from the Town of Hempstead zoning law and allow a limited number of 100% rentals to be built.  

The increase in apartments, coupled with a mandate for 80-20 rentals (80% fair market value, 20% more affordable rentals) will lower the price of rent and allow many of our young people to afford to settle themselves in the Town rather than move back in with their parents. Although more must be done, including developing our downtowns and developing areas around the Hub, solving the rent issue will immediately alleviate a large part of the problem as well as expand our tax base by encouraging people in illegal apartments to move into legal apartments.

If you are elected, what is the one thing you’d like to see accomplished during your term?

Santino: To see my continued efforts and longtime advocacy for a complete, state-of-the-art reconstruction of the Bay Park Sewage Treatment Plant, including construction of the much-needed ocean outfall pipe, occurs.

Working with County Executive Ed Mangano and Legislators Howard Kopel & Denise Ford, Nassau County has invested millions in upgrading, enhancing and improving the plant after years of neglect and repeated DEC violations — only to see the 9 foot tidal surge of Sandy wash much of the progress away. We must rebuild the county facility smarter and stronger than before, with the newest processing and odor control technologies.

Gillespie: When elected, the two issues I would focus much of my attention on would be addressing the youth drain and assisting those still suffering from the affects of Sandy. As I discussed in the previous question, I would focus on the rent issue in addressing the youth drain. I would also use all the resources available to me to get people still unable to return to their homes in touch with New York Rising and other government and charitable organizations. I would specifically use the resources available to my office to help people navigate the paperwork that has held many people back from being able to get the aid they have needed.

Would you like to add anything else?

Santino: I am looking forward to representing new areas of Councilmatic District #4, including Woodmere, Woodsburgh and parts of Cedarhurst & Valley Stream. While I've continued to be actively involved in our community, neighbors should know that I will continue to provide the same type of responsive constituent services and personal outreach that has been the hallmark of my tenure on the Hempstead Town Board.

Gillespie: The Fourth District has been represented by Councilman Santino for the past 20 years. In that time, our youth population has been depleted, property taxes have inflated to the point that many are struggling to keep up, and a devastating storm has left thousands homeless a year later, wondering where their local government is and what they did to help. I believe fresh ideas and a youthful vigor are needed to properly serve the Town of Hempstead's Fourth District. I bring ideas, energy, and a desire to serve the public to this pursuit, and I hope the voters will select a fresh start over the rehashed policies of the past 20 years.


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