Meet The Candidates: Nicky Kaur For Oyster Bay Town Council

TOWN OF OYSTER BAY, 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.

Nicky Kaur is one of six people running for three open seats on the Town of Oyster Bay Council. Kaur and two other Democrats are challenging three incumbent Republicans for their seats in an at-large election. There are no districts — each council member represents the entire town.

Kaur, 53, is a Hicksville resident, where she lives with her husband and two children. She has a master's degree in economics, and wants to bring that experience to town government.

Why are you seeking elective office?

Being a long term resident of Hicksville, I have seen a tremendous change in the demographics of not only Hicksville but Town of OB at large. However, our local government is still running on the same old manner as for the last 20 some years. We need to change that, change for good and change for all. We need the local government to be government for all people. We need to bring transparency and accountability in the government. Our current government only caters to selected few.

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

The most pressing issue I see is that the current government does not represent all its constituents. One town over the other is the way they go. The Town of Oyster Bay should be considered as a whole and not one neighborhood over the other. You can easy see a vast difference between Massapequa to Hicksville. Why is that. Is that because those elected officials don't reside in that town. The current government runs on pay to play. That is not fair. Everyone pays taxes and should see equitable distribution of those resources.

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

I believe in honesty and transparency. We need to engage with our local residents to build a strong government. We should be be open to dialogue and hear what they have to say. This helps meeting their needs and builds their confidence in who is running their government.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

I see a huge difference in our infrastructure from one town to another. Being a Hicksville resident, I see lack of cleanliness, either you can't find garbage cans on the road side and if you do, they are overflowing with garbage. The funds for improvement of downtown Hicksville have been allotted from a while but there has been no announcement of what are the firm plans and put them into action. There has been a vast influx of people moving into Hicksville and other towns for the past few years but more so during Covid, making the real estate prices shoot up. We may some nice houses but the roads outside those houses are crumbling.

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

I think, we survived the pandemic due to the strong leadership of Laura Curran, the County Executive. Until she came up with plans of getting test sites and vaccination in place, there was no direction at the local level.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

My campaign platform is inclusion of all by bringing in diversity at the local government level. This means that we need to be government of all people. we need to reach out to our residents and ask of their needs and what they see lacking. We need improved and healthier infrastructure. Our crumbling roads and parks need much needed attention. Nassau county is one of the richest county in the country, however, our roads and parks don't reflect that. I feel that we do have the resources but they are just not equitably distributed.

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

As a mother of 2 kids, I have always been involved with the school PTA and getting an insight into the local community. I have been involved with various local and children specific charities either through the school, clubs or at our local place of worship. I have taken a lead role in raising funds for those in need or at critical times during rough times. Professionally, given my corporate experience I have been heavily involved in not only training new folks but mentor new hires of minority groups to enhance and prepare them for their career paths.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Being born in a Sikh family, I have been raised with the basic principles of being spiritual, being honest and be of service to humanity. I do abide by those principles and raising my kids to follow those principles. My dad always said, respect others and they will respect you.

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

Though, this is my first venture into politics but remember it is driven by passion to really bring in a change for the better and a change for all. Being a long term resident of Hicksville, I see that Hicksville is a vital part of the Oyster Bay. It is centrally located, within close proximity to the island beaches, all types of shopping, various places of worships for people from all walks of life and more importantly a major Rail Road hub. All these attributes make Hicksville and other neighboring towns a major attraction for those looking to relocate. We need to tap into that which will bring in more taxes and boom the local economy helping local businesses. However, that also means that we will need to give back by bringing in improved quality living, affordability, cleanliness, improved infrastructure with better roads and parks. This will help the younger generation to stay on. We have to concentrate on long term plans of keeping our communities safe and happy.