Wantagh-Seaford 2019 Elections: Candidates, Polling Places, Hours

WANTAGH, NY — Voters will head to the polls Tuesday in Wantagh and Seaford to cast their ballots for key Nassau County and Town of Hempstead positions, including district attorney, legislator, supervisor and council. This year, Laura Gillen, the Democratic town supervisor, is defending her seat against Republican Donald Clavin, who is currently the town's tax receiver. Incumbents Madeline Singas and Steve Rhoads will also defend their seats Nov. 5, while a new face will step in to fill Republican Erin King Sweeney's town council seat.

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 Wantagh and Seaford.

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 19

In District 19, which includes parts of Freeport, Bellmore, Wantagh, Seaford, Merrick and North Merrik, incumbent Republican Steve Rhoads squares off against Jill Levine, who is not affiliated with any party but running on the Democratic line.

Rhoads, a Wantagh native who now lives in Bellmore, told Patch in a questionnaire that taxes and reassessment are the single most pressing issues facing his district. Rhoads has criticized the county's reassessment process, saying there's "no confidence" that property values are accurate "as evidenced by over 260,000 tax challenges."

"The county executive's last-minute decision to manipulate the level of assessment bypassed the protections afforded by state law for 95 percent of Nassau County homeowners after promising not to do so, and has exposed homeowners to the looming danger of massive tax increases," he said.

Meanwhile, Jill Levine homed in on the mass exodus of young people from Long Island as the most pressing issue. Younger workers are choosing to leave the county and island largely, she said because they either can't afford to live here or can't find sufficient employment.

"In order to attract and retain younger workers and working families, we need to support small businesses so they can provide the services they are looking for and need; we have to build affordable housing options near reliable public transportation; and we must be able to incentivize larger employers to locate their headquarters and branch offices in Nassau County by having the labor force they need available for them," she said.

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 Council Member - District 5

In council District 5, which includes Lido Beach and Point Lookout, as well as parts of Baldwin, Bellmore, Freeport, Merrick, Seaford and Wantagh, voters will select from two candidates: Republican Chris Carini and Democrat Lora Webster, both of whom are competing to fill Republican Erin King Sweeney's seat.

Carini, of Seaford, said taxes and infrastructure are the most important issues facing the district. He supports Clavin's day one plan to slash the supervisor payroll in half as well as his plan to double the township's investment in road repaving.

"I will work with Don Clavin to reduce spending and taxes," he said.

Webster, of Lido Beach, also cited money mismanagement as the most pressing issue.

"I'm sick of the status quo of political infighting and jobs and contracts always going to connected insiders," she said. "We deserve a Town Board that will fight corruption and defend our tax dollars."

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.