The election scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 4 will impact all 1.4 million people living in Nassau County.
Nassau County residents have the opportunity to decide who runs Nassau County, the towns of Hempstead, North Hempstead and Oyster Bay, and the cities of Glen Cove and Oyster Bay. In other words, some of the elected officials closest to voters.
That should be more than enough to motivate voters to exercise their right to vote, whether they are Republicans, Democrats or independents.
Start with the job of county executive, essentially Nassau’s equivalent of a city mayor. The position is responsible for managing day-to-day county operations, overseeing departments, and implementing policies and laws passed by the county Legislature.
This includes managing the budget of a county whose finances are still under state oversight, the appointment of department heads, commissioners, and members of county boards and commissions and the oversight of the police department and public safety.
This authority impacts how safe we feel in our homes, the quality of the roads we drive on and the little things we never notice except when things go wrong. You must choose between incumbent Bruce Blakeman, the Republican and Conservative Party candidate, and Democrat Seth Koslow.
The second of four countywide seats up for election is the district attorney, Nassau County’s chief law enforcement officer. The position is responsible for prosecuting crimes, ensuring justice is carried out within the county and developing programs to prevent crimes before they happen. You must choose between incumbent Anne Donnelly, the Republican and Conservative Party candidate, and Democrat Nicole Aloise.
The Nassau County comptroller is the county’s chief financial watchdog, responsible for auditing, accounting, and ensuring that taxpayer money is spent properly, legally, and efficiently. The office is intended to serve as an independent check on both the county executive and the Legislature by overseeing the management of public funds handled by Nassau. You must choose between incumbent Elaine Phillips, the Republican and Conservative Party candidate, and Democrat Wayne Wink.
Nassau’s clerk is the official record keeper for the county — responsible for maintaining, safeguarding and providing access to the county’s most important legal, property and public documents. The clerk’s office serves as the county’s central filing office for land records, court documents, business certificates, and various public filings.
You must choose between incumbent Maureen O’Connell, the Republican and Conservative Party candidate, and Democrat Joylette Williams.
Also up for election are all 19 seats that make up the county Legislature, Nassau’s version of a city council. Its members are responsible for creating laws, approving budgets and overseeing county operations on behalf of Nassau’s residents.
Together with the county executive, legislators help determine the fees that residents pay for a wide variety of services and the taxes they pay.
There are also elections in all three of the county’s towns for town supervisor, clerk, and some town board members, and both of its cities – Long Beach and Glen Cove for town council members, and in Glen Cove’s case, mayor as well.
Hempstead Town Supervisor John Ferretti, the Republican and Conservative Party candidate, is opposed by Democrat Joe Scianablo. North Hempstead Town Supervisor Jennifer DeSena, the Republican and Conservative Party candidate, is opposed by Democrat Dave Kerpen. Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino, the Republican and Conservative Party candidate, is opposed by Democrat Sam Sochet.
Glen Cove Mayor Pamela Panzenbeck, the Republican and Conservative Party candidate, is opposed by Democrat Marsha Silveman.
The three towns are the largest local government units within the county, providing a wide range of municipal services to residents living in unincorporated areas not covered by villages, as well as services for villages and special districts.
This includes responsibilities for local laws, ordinances, and zoning regulations within their borders. They also issue building permits, certificates of occupancy, and zoning variances, maintain town roads, curbs, sidewalks, and drainage systems (excluding county or state roads) and operate parks, pools, marinas, golf courses, nature preserves, and beaches.
The county’s two cities do much the same thing.
These governments are all essential in maintaining the quality of life for residents of Nassau County.
They also serve, in some cases, as the government closest to residents and as a farm team of sorts for future leaders and higher levels of public service.
These elections allow residents to fulfill their obligation as citizens to exercise one of democracy’s most fundamental rights: voting. See our election guide for more details about the candidates. And vote!
