New Hyde Park 2019 Elections: Candidates, Polling Places, Hours

NEW HYDE PARK, NY — New Hyde Park voters will head to the polls Tuesday, and while all registered voters in the village will cast ballots for district attorney and legislature, some will vote for Town of Hempstead positions while others will do so for Town of North Hempstead. Incumbents Madeline Singas, Richard Nicolello and Vincent Muscarella are among those defending their seats Nov. 5, as are supervisors Laura Gillen and Judi Bosworth.

Nassau has hundreds of election districts, and polling locations can differ even between neighbors across the street. Registered voters should have received a notice in August containing polling location information. If not, the New York State Board of Elections also has an online tool to help voters find their polling place. It also has district information so voters know what races they can cast ballots for, as well as see what party they're registered under.

Polls will open at 6 a.m. Tuesday and close at 9 p.m.

Here's a ballot breakdown for New Hyde Park.

Nassau County District Attorney

Madeline Singas, Nassau's incumbent Democratic district attorney, seeks a second four-year term as top prosecutor against Republican challenger Frank McQuade. As the chief law enforcement official for the county, the district attorney manages more than 350 attorneys, investigators and support staff who prosecute and investigate about 30,000 criminal cases every year.

Singas, who defeated former Hempstead Town Supervisor Kate Murray in 2015, seeks a second four-year term as the county's district attorney. In a Patch questionnaire, Singas singled out the opioid crisis as one of the most pressing issues facing Nassau County.

While fatal drug overdoses have fallen more than 20 percent, "too many of our neighbors continue to fall victim to opioid abuse," she wrote. Singas also touted her office's efforts to open the county's first 24/7 drug crisis center.

"It works to provide around-the-clock medical treatment and bridge the treatment gap that exists when an overdose victim is released from the emergency room and their placement in long-term treatment," she said.

Her opponent, McQuade, a former police officer and longtime private practice attorney, has highlighted state legislation that reforms the cash bail process as the most pressing issue facing the county.

"With cashless bail, there will be an opportunity for criminals to walk away less than 24 hours after committing a crime, which can vary from petty to extreme," he wrote.

See also: 'Seismic' Changes: Nassau DA Candidates Sound Off On Bail Reform

The laws are designed to protect people from being jailed for nonviolent crimes simply because they can't afford bail. But the legislation goes too far, McQuade said.

"We don't need laws which dismantle how we go about prosecuting criminals," he wrote. With the right people handling the judicial process, like me as district attorney, crime will be handled the right way without baseless reprieve.

Nassau County Legislature - District 8

In District 8, which includes which includes Franklin Square, Floral Park, Bellerose, Bellerose Terrace, West Hempstead and portions of Elmont, New Hyde Park and Stewart Manor, voters will select from two candidates: incumbent Republican Vincent Muscarella and Democratic challenger Barbara Hafner.

In a Patch questionnaire, Muscarella said the most urgent issue facing his constituents was taxes. He said he has always advocated for so-called "zero-based budgeting" practices.

"This requires all department heads to justify all projected expenses every year beginning with dollar one," he said. "Oftentimes departments merely jump off prior year's expenses with a percentage increase. This leads to complacent and lazy money managers."

Hafner said the reassessment process is the most pressing issue.

"The assessment process has not been transparent," she said. "Residents are concerned about how the new assessments will affect their property taxes. The change had to happen, however, it must be transparent and communicated to the residents."

Nassau County Legislature - District 9

In the county's 9th District, Democrat Mal Nathan is once again challenging familiar Republican incumbent Legislator Richard Nicolello, the legislature's presiding officer.

The district includes parts of New Hyde Park, Mineola, Garden City Park, Albertson, Williston Park, East Williston, Roslyn Estates, Munsey Park, Plandome Heights, Plandome and Plandome Manor.

Neither candidate filled out Patch's questionnaire.

Nicolello, a lifelong New Hyde Park resident, graduated from New Hyde Park Memorial High School. He received a bachelor's degree in government and politics from St. John's University and a juris doctorate from Fordham Law School. He is the chair of the Rules Committee, and vice chair of the Budget Review Committee. Nicollelo has been a practicing attorney since 1986 and heads insurance coverage for a law firm.

Nathan, serves as chief bay constable for the Town of North Hempstead, patrolling Manhasset Bay. He is challenging Nicollelo for the third time.

Town of Hempstead Supervisor

This year, Democratic incumbent Laura Gillen faces Republican Donald Clavin, the town's tax receiver, and longshot Libertarian candidate Diane Madden.

The supervisor is essentially CEO of the town's government. The position presides at all town board meetings, directing the legislative and administrative functions of that body. The supervisor also oversees the day-to-day operations of the municipal government consisting two-dozen departments, roughly 2,000 workers and providing services to more than 760,000 residents. The supervisor also acts as the town's CFO, implementing the Hempstead town budget.

Gillen, a Baldwin native who now lives in Rockville Centre, told Patch the town's most pressing issue is reversing course on yearslong corruption that she said resulted in jobs and contracts being handed out to friends and family.

"When payroll is bloated, jobs are handed out as rewards or favors, unqualified people are hired because they are cronies, contracts are given to friends without regard to cost, or to friends who don't pay the town, it is residents who pay the price," she said. "Corruption is making the cost of living almost unbearable in Hempstead."

See also: Supervisor Candidates Speak About Corruptions In Hempstead Town

As tax receiver, Clavin said he met with hundreds of taxpayers. The single most urgent issue facing the town, he said, was taxes. If elected, he has large cuts in store for the supervisor office.

"I'm excited to tell Hempstead Town residents that tax relief if coming to the Supervisor's office," he said. "My first act in office will be on Day One, when I slash the supervisor's office's payroll in half, by $1 million."

As for Madden, the East Meadow advocate said money management and out-of-control spending were the most pressing issues facing the town.

"The way taxpayer dollars have been wildly misspent for decades has negatively effected, contributed to or created every single issue town wide whether it's crumbing infrastructure, contaminated water, skyrocketing taxes, over development, vacant store fronts, lack of affordable housing and insufficient jobs and the list goes on," she said.

Town of Hempstead Clerk

Democratic incumbent Sylvia Cabana squares off against Republican challenger Kate Murray.

The clerk's office maintains town board records and publishes notices of public hearings. It records town ordinances, local laws, personnel actions, petitions, proof of publication, yearly budgets, assessment rolls, fiscal reports, notice of liens, subpoena and court actions, bond and note registers, zoning ordinances and maps. As town registrar, the office keeps birth and death records, issues birth, death and fetal certificates, burial permits, conducts genealogical searches, and issues marriage licenses and various permits. Additionally, the Town Clerk's office performs wedding ceremonies. The office processes applications for rezoning, public garages, modification of restrictive covenants, gasoline storage tanks, and GSS ordinances. The clerk is also the custodian of town records dating to 1644 and maintains an inactive records center and historical archive.

Neither candidate filled out Patch's questionnaire.

When Cabana was first elected in November 2017, the Garden City resident became the first Latin-American woman to hold the position. Her father is from Argentina and her mother is from Cuba.

Sylvia received her bachelor's degree from Barnard College, Columbia University and a juris doctorate from Hofstra's law school. She worked as an immigration attorney for 20 years.

Murray, a Levittown native, has served as town supervisor, clerk and state assemblywoman. Clavin asked Murray to run, according to Garden City Life.

Town of Hempstead Tax Receiver

Republican Jeanine Driscoll faces Democrat Chandra Ortiz for the seat being vacated by Clavin.

The tax receiver collects taxes for Nassau County, the Town of Hempstead, 99 special districts and 33 school districts. That money is then distributed to school district treasurers and other districts. The receiver's office also handles billing and collection processes, encompassing complete banking, record maintenance, mail and accounting functions. The department also collects property taxes.

Neither candidate filled out Patch's questionnaire.

Driscoll, a longtime Bellerose Village, resident, has worked as an aviation attorney handling complex issues for a variety of clients. She has also been a village justice in the Village of Bellerose, served as president of the Floral Park Memorial High School PTA and volunteers to serve food to economically disadvantaged people.

Ortiz has been a resident of Nassau County for more than three decades. She earned a bachelor's degree from Long Island University; an ABA paralegal certification from Adelphi University; and a law degree from Touro Law School.

Ortiz is a practicing attorney who has represented numerous businesses, individuals and some government agencies. Her solo practice concentrates on various aspects of real estate, business and franchise law. Ortiz is also an adjunct professor at Molloy College, teaching real estate law. She was the first minority to be elected to serve as Dean of the Nassau Bar Association’s Academy of Law.

Town of Hempstead Council Member - 2nd District

Republican incumbent Tom Muscarella squares off against Democratic challenger Thomas Tweedy in the 2nd district, which includes Bellerose Terrace, Floral Park, Garden City, Garden City South, New Hyde Park, Salisbury, South Floral Park, Stewart Manor, and parts of Bellerose, East Meadow, Elmont, Franklin Square, Hempstead, Uniondale and West Hempstead.

Muscarella, of Garden City, has been in the insurance business for 40 years and works as a sales executive at Assured Partners Northeast. Before becoming a council member, Muscarella was owner/partner of Archer A. Associates Insurance Agency in Franklin Square.

The Elmont native has been a member of the Sons of Italy American Lodge since 1978, served as Elmont Little League Manager in the 1990s and was Garden City Little League Manager for a decade beginning in 2000. He is also a former Grand Knight of Franklin Square Twelve Apostles Council of the Knights of Columbus and has been president of the Franklin Square Lions Club since 2001. Muscarella graduated from St. John's University.

While Muscarella did not fill out a Patch questionnaire, his Democratic opponent identified two issues that he found most pressing for the community: quality of parks in Elmont and building department issues, including compliance, inspection follow up and enforcement.

Tweedy, of Floral Park, earned a bachelor's degree from Boston College in 1978 and works as a project manager in construction management. He was Floral Park's mayor for six years ending in 2017 and a village trustee for 10 years before that.

Town of North Hempstead Supervisor

Judi Bosworth, the incumbent Democratic supervisor, seeks her fourth two-year term against Republican challenger David Redmond.

Supervisor is one of the most significant and powerful roles in local politics, acting as presiding officer over meetings of the town board and voting on matters before the panel. The supervisor carries out board decisions, fields resident concerns and acts as treasurer of the town, representing it in its financial affairs.

Bosworth said residents are most concerned about high taxes.

"Taxpayers want to know that elected officials are using their hard-earned tax dollars wisely, and my fiscally conservative budgets, Aaa bond rating, and delivery of services show these are my priorities as well," she wrote in her Patch questionnaire.

Redmond said a "shortfall in leadership" was the most pressing issue facing the county. Particularly in "key areas of project management and hiring," including a slow rollout of online features for the building department.

"I intend to use my technical background to guide the town into the 21st century of governing and resident services," he said. "Most importantly, we can improve our quality of life with innovations for government without losing a human touch."

Town of North Hempstead Tax Reciever

Charles Berman, the incumbent Democrat who was first elected in 2011, seeks a fourth term against Republican challenger Ron Rochester.

The receiver oversees the yearly mailing of more than 180,000 tax bills, the transmission of 100,000 electronic bills to tax service groups, and the receipt and processing of more than 288,000 tax payments, including over 10,000 in-person payments made at Town Hall and at community collection sites.

Berman identified reassessment as his highest priority.

"I will continue to help residents understand how they might lower their property taxes through my community outreach programs," he said. "I will explain to the public not only how to file a grievance but what's going on behind the scenes at the assessment department."

Rochester said the "antiquated" North Hempstead website is the biggest issue facing the town.

"It is difficult to navigate," he said. "The site does not show your payments and amount of tax due and the site does not accurately identify lot numbers."