Meet The Candidates: Jennifer DeSena Runs For TONH Supervisor

PORT WASHINGTON, NY — Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 2. And 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.

Jennifer DeSena, 52, is running as a Republican for Town of North Hempstead Supervisor. She will be squaring off against Town Clerk Wayne Wink, who is a Democrat. This is her first time running for public office.

You can learn more about DeSena below, or by clicking here.

Why are you seeking elective office?

I was asked to run for this open seat for supervisor because I'm a civic and nonprofit leader trusted by the community. I will bring people together to find solutions, not promote one party's control. I will make sure all views are heard and that employees trying to do the right thing are supported. We pay higher taxes every year but persistent problems with service and maintenance continue. We need new leadership that will hire and promote qualified people and cut waste.

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

The Building Department is notorious for lengthy delays in service. Ever since several employees were indicted in 2007 — at a time my opponent was on the Town Board — there have been procedures in place to slow the Building Department. It's long past time to reallocate resources and staff to reform the Building Department and make it user-friendly.

I will create and listen to an independent Advisory Council of small business owners, building professionals such as contractors and architects, and residents to streamline the department's processes while adhering to safety requirements. I will also introduce same-day permits for certain residential uses, which our neighbors in the Town of Oyster Bay have had for years. Additionally, I will institute an amnesty period so residents can prepare their homes for renovation or sale without fear of retribution or penalty.

As Supervisor, I will make sure the Town Board and I are fully responsible for the Building Department and held accountable.

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

I am a political outsider. I, therefore, do not owe any favors to party insiders or other power players. Instead, I will approach every issue with independence.

Unlike my opponent, I will not expect Town employees to work on political campaigns or raise funds. Rather, I will look for skilled employees to hire and promote. Government employees are supposed to work for the people, not themselves. I will not put my name all over Town property or initiatives like the previous administration has done. My opponent has been running for re-election for over twenty years. He will do and say what his political party tells him to do and say. He gave in to a party boss in the past, hiring his wife as a Deputy Town Clerk. That won't happen after I am elected.

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

Over the last few years, the Town has lost many valuable department heads who were deemed insufficiently loyal to Democratic party insiders. This kind of political retribution has cost the Town in the form of settlement agreements and lost institutional knowledge. As a result, our Highways and Parks Departments have gone without an experienced leader for long stretches at a time. We need to do more with less so our senior citizens and young professionals can afford to live here.

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

Officials did well when they were communicating information about the risks of COVID and the availability of the vaccine. However, once people have the necessary information, they should be trusted to apply that information within their homes, families, and workplaces.

At this stage in the pandemic, there are other pressing needs that must be considered in addition to COVID. For example, we experienced a 30% increase in drug overdoses last year. Even prior to COVID, we had decreases in life expectancy from overdoses and suicides for three straight years. I would have allowed people to return to work earlier if they had recovered from COVID. I would have found creative ways to keep the Building Department working, including erecting a tent for working outside. I would have continued in-person Town Board meetings because we lose information and connection to some people when we only use technology.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

One issue on which my opponent and I sharply disagree is whether to allow marijuana to be sold in the Town of North Hempstead. As Director of the Manhasset Coalition Against Substance Abuse, I have worked for the past five years to educate the community about mental health and substance misuse.

We are emerging from a pandemic but our mental health and overdose epidemic have worsened and will continue. Marijuana has significant mental and physical health consequences for young people and those with ADHD or anxiety disorder. Today's THC concentrates are 95% pure, compared with less than 10% from plants 30 years ago. Under Governor Cuomo's so-called leadership, backed by the powerful cannabis lobby, New York State legalized commercial marijuana in the middle of three epidemics. Towns and villages only have until December 31, 2021, to opt out of allowing marijuana retail stores and consumption lounges, and if they fail to act by that deadline they are forever precluded from protecting their citizens. I would vote to opt out until we have the education and training and see the impact of commercial stores on other suburban towns. Long Island already experiences the highest number of motor vehicle deaths and accidents in the state, and increased marijuana use will only exacerbate that problem.

Furthermore, any promised tax revenue will be outweighed by higher county taxes for police, hospital, and treatment services.

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

As an SEC Enforcement Attorney, I investigated and brought charges around the $1.5 billion accounting restatement by Rite Aid, at the time the largest in American business history. I also brought charges in federal court involving a Ponzi scheme and barred a predatory investment advisor.

More recently I worked closely with the Chinese American Association of North Hempstead to educate the public about the impact of marijuana on the community. Through our efforts, and following additional collaboration with health professionals, we persuaded the Town Board to approve a zoning change to prohibit recreational marijuana while allowing medical marijuana to be administered in hospitals and other controlled areas.

I have managed payroll, insurance, fundraising, and federal and local grant applications and compliance for the Coalition Against Substance Abuse, securing sufficient funding from new sources to continue operations for three years after the expiration of a $125,000 annual federal grant.

I am a founder of the St. Vincent de Paul Society conference at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Manhasset and have grown its ministry to be able to provide over $20,000 annually in rent, food, furniture, and more to neighbors in need for the past five years. Our Takeout Project provided $3,000 in revenue for local merchants during the pandemic and gift cards for local food pantries.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

A quote attributed to St. Francis of Assisi: Start by doing what's necessary, then do what's possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible.

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

I will bring a common-sense approach to effective and efficient local government. For too long, the Town of North Hempstead has been run by partisan officials focused only on politics as usual. I will work to bring about real change by fixing the broken Building Department, eliminating wasteful spending from the budget, cutting taxes, and making sure that the Town of North Hempstead government works for the people.

Editor's note: The candidate's responses have been lightly edited for clarity.