Meet The Candidates: Laura Schaefer For Nassau County Legislature

OLD WESTBURY, NY — Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 2. With voting just around the corner, Patch is reaching out to candidates across Nassau County to find out why they're running for office, and what they hope to achieve for residents.

Republican incumbent Laura Schaefer is being challenged by Democrat Robert McCarthry for her seat representing Nassau County's 14th Legislative District. The 14th LD includes parts of Garden City, Garden City South, Carle Place, Westbury and Hicksville.

Schaefer, 53, is a resident of Westbury. She has been an attorney for more than a decade. She has represented the 14th LD since 2014.

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am seeking re-election because I feel there is still so much more I'd like to do. Since taking office in 2014, I have fought to maintain the quality of life that our residents expect by fighting to lower taxes, cut fees, keeping our county safe, addressing the drinking water contamination issues and pushing for the repair and maintenance our county roads. I am well known and supported throughout my district and I want to utilize my 8 years of experience, knowledge and the relationships I have developed to continue to fight for a better quality of life for the residents of Nassau County.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The single most pressing issue facing our legislative body is how to make Nassau County a more affordable place to live, work and play. In that regard, I have worked with my colleagues in the Republican Majority most recently to submit amendments to the County Executive's budget that would cut $120 million in property taxes and $100 million in county fees. I will continue to look for ways to increase revenue in the county, improve our down towns and provide guidance for our residents regarding the County's reassessment process which has resulted in significant property tax increases for many.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

Some of the critical differences between myself and the other candidate seeking this office include my 8 years of knowledge and experience as a legislator and my 11+ years as an attorney. I have the experience of fighting against the State Legislature in Albany and the dangerous bail reform laws that was passed, which has resulted in a revolving door of criminals on our streets. I have always voted to provide our police department and district attorney's office with the funding they need to keep us safe, which has only increased over the years because of the New York State legislature's reckless legislation. I am also proud of my record of cutting taxes, helping our residents during the pandemic and promoting small businesses during the pandemic and helping those businesses to navigate the funding and assistance opportunities available to them since the pandemic began.

How do you think local officials performed in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?

During the pandemic, I think that myself and my colleagues in the Republican Majority did a great job of getting accurate and understandable information to our constituents as often as possible. Personally, I am proud of the work I did in having PPE drives, food-shopping for homebound seniors, providing daily and weekly eteam newsletters with the most important and relevant information for our residents, including infection rates and vaccination opportunities when they became available. The Majority continued to meet during the pandemic in order to draft and pass legislation that got our first responders the equipment they needed to stay safe. We also passed legislation to provide financial assistance to small businesses and restaurants as well as direct assistance to Nassau residents. If there was something I could have handled differently it would have been to have anticipated that the legislature would need to have some oversight of the federal CARES Act money that came in. Had that been the case, I would have worked with my colleagues in the Majority to make sure it was spent on our residents and local businesses rather than on salaries in the Administration.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

Public safety is always a matter of concern because residents often reach out to me when certain crimes occur (ie., larceny). Local district projects are consistently a part of my platform because changes in neighborhoods, downtowns, etc. are always a matter of concern to residents. Water quality is also always a part of my platform because we are dealing with significant issues throughout the county including the spread of the Grumman plume and the need to implement 1,4 dioxane from our water system and all of the equipment and expense that comes with that for our local water districts.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

My ability to respond to the needs of my constituents including anything from the initiation of major road reconstruction projects to assisting local organizations with funding for equipment or improvements to their buildings, such as the installation of HVAC equipment for the Hicksville Gregory Museum, a digital message board for Cary H.S. and Bethpage Fire Department, new required radios for several of the fire departments in my district, a chair lift in the Westbury Senior Center and funding for restoration of the Garden City Historical Society. In addition, I was extremely responsive and proactive during the COVID-19 pandemic by providing people with information regarding infection rates and vaccination availability and by hosting PPE drives and then distributing the donated PPE. In addition, for the past several years my office has been consistently assisting residents with questions and concerns relative to the reassessment by having open forums to explain and discuss the topic, by speaking about it at local civics, community groups and property owners associations as well as by helping to get my constituents questions answered when they call my office and need some one-on-one assistance.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Do what is right, not what is easy.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I have worked hard to address issues throughout my district by listening to my constituents and by helping to secure hundreds of thousands of dollars for various improvements for our local fire departments, schools, water districts, senior centers, museums, road safety and infrastructure improvements and revitalizations of our down towns. It has been an honor and privilege to serve for the past 8 years and it would be an honor and privilege to serve my constituents for another term.