Update: Five Towns Town of Hempstead Forum Rescheduled

Update: The forum has been rescheduled to Tuesday, March 8 at 7:30 p.m. The original meeting was canceled due to the weather.

Have a burning question you’d like to ask a Town of Hempstead official? Well, Five Towns residents can do just that during a meeting scheduled for Tuesday, March 8, at the .

Hempstead Town Councilman Anthony Santino and Receiver of Taxes Don Clavin are hosting the forum at 7:30 p.m. in the second floor meeting room of the firehouse, where they said they would answer questions related to the town and taxes.

“We must keep communication flowing between the town government and its citizens,” Santino said in a release. “It points us in the right direction for serving the needs of the community.”

Representatives from Town of Hempstead departments will also be present at the meeting, the town said. Tax reduction programs will be among the issues discussed.

Santino, whose district includes Hewlett, was planning to do a town meeting in the Five Towns when he heard Clavin was planning a tax forum in the area, according to Hempstead Town Spokeswoman Susie Trenkle-Pokalsky. The two decided to hold one meeting instead.

When asked why Councilman James Darcy, who represents most of the Five Towns, was not part of the meeting, Trenkle-Pokalsky responded, “Councilman Darcy may very well do one separately. As far as this meeting goes, Councilman Santino is more than willing to bring issues to Councilman Darcy’s attention.”

Santino said that meetings have led to improvements for the Five Towns in the past. “While the town representatives hold jurisdiction over unincorporated sections of the Five Towns, we often join officials from the county and incorporated villages when working to address local issues,” he said. “I encourage all Five Towns residents to attend the Jan. 26 meeting to hear updates on current projects, address any concerns and learn how they might reduce their tax burdens.”