Special Election

Legislative candidates make their cases

Taxes, heroin scourge among issues discussed

Posted

The vote to seat a new legislator in the 19th District is less than three weeks away, and candidates Rita Kestenbaum and Steve Rhoads have been out making their cases to voters.

A special election is scheduled for March 10 to replace David Denenberg, who resigned after pleading guilty last month to mail fraud. Kestenbaum is backed by the Democrats, though she described herself as an independent candidate, and Rhoads is running on the Republican line.

The two spoke to members of the Wantagh Chamber of Commerce on Feb. 10, answering questions on a variety of issues.

Rhoads, who grew up in Wantagh and lives in Bellmore, has been a member of the Wantagh Fire Department for 23 years. He said that there are 12 probationary firefighters right now, all under age 21, and added that he would be surprised if even three or four are left in five years. That’s because he doesn’t know if they will be able to afford to stay on Long Island. “I want to help lead the fight to hold the line on property taxes that are forcing families out of their homes,” Rhoads said.

If elected, he said, he would not vote for any tax increases. The best way to put the county in better shape financially, he said, is to turn Nassau into an engine of economic growth, with business-friendly practices that help create good-paying jobs. As people have more money, they will spend more, Rhoads said, and sales tax revenues will rise.

Kestenbaum, who has lived in Bellmore for more than 30 years, said that raising taxes is out of the question. Her son also lives in the community and is raising his children there, and she wants to keep them there. Instead of raising taxes or fees, she said, a thorough review of county finances is needed. “With all the money that is there, why isn’t it enough?” Kestenbaum asked. “Where is it going?”

If she were elected, she said, she would not be beholden to the Democratic Party, and would act as a watchdog. She also expressed concern about the lack of checks and balances that would exist if the Republicans captured a supermajority — 13 out of 19 votes — in the Legislature, which is needed to borrow money.

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