John Ferretti Jr.’s appointment as Hempstead Town Supervisor left a vacancy in the Nassau County Legislature, but Farmingdale Village Mayor Ralph Ekstrand said he isn’t worried,
“I can’t see it affecting the village in any way,” Ekstrand said.
Three months before the November election, Ferretti, a Republican who had been campaigning for the seat, took over as Hempstead Town Supervisor on Aug. 5. The former Town of Hempstead supervisor, Don Clavin, had already announced his candidacy for judge in a race in which he is unopposed
Ferretti had served as the legislator for Nassau County District 15, which includes all of Farmingdale Village, Plainedge and South Farmingdale, and parts of Levittown, North Wantagh, North Massapequa and Bethpage.
Ekstrand said he regularly speaks directly with other county employees and representatives, and that the village will still be able to be helped if needed.
“If I need anything, I just pick up the phone and call Rose [Walker]. It’s very easy,” the mayor said. “If you look at the law, I do not have a current Nassau County legislator, but Rose [Walker] can do anything that John could do for me.”
Nassau County Legislator Rose Walker had represented Farmingdale, which previously fell within District 17.
The Nassau County Legislature passed a new district map in February 2023 that adjusted the borders across all 19 legislative districts. The change made Ferretti the new legislator for the village.
The legislature is the policy-making branch of the county government, which makes laws that impact residents and businesses.
Ferretti had presented the village with a $1 million ARPA grant in 2024, which went towards water treatment. He had been a county legislator since 2018.
“We certainly appreciated John [Ferretti] while he was with us,” Ekstrand said.
The seat is likely expected to remain open until the election on Nov. 4.
Republican Kayla L. Knight is running for the seat against Democrat Stephen Richard Hellman.
