As election season nears, candidates meet community

At a forum held by the West Hempstead Chamber of Commerce last week, West Hempstead residents heard from 11 candidates running for office on the town and county levels; from six incumbents, who touted accomplishments, and five challengers, who criticized the status quo and offered new ideas.

Hempstead Town Clerk Mark Bonilla talked up his office’s Mobile Passport, Child Safety and other developing programs, while Receiver of Taxes Donald Clavin talked about technology initiatives the town is exploring to improve services. Bonilla’s opponent, Steve Anchin, said credit certainly is due the clerk’s office for its new program, but that there is still room for improvement, particularly when it comes to utilizing the town’s website. The clerk’s office, he said, could actually help residents save money.

“I want to reinvent the paradigm of what is the town clerk all about,” Anchin told the audience of about two dozen.

Wilton Robinson Jr., Clavin’s opponent, described himself as an activist in his hometown, Roosevelt. Now, he said, he wants to be an advocate for the residents of the town and provide “more stability, more financial support and more activism.”

Both Hempstead Town Councilman James Darcy (R-Valley Stream) and his challenger, Owen Rumelt, of West Hempstead, spoke about financial issues, the former praising the town’s use of funding and the latter blasting it.

“We pride ourselves on watching every dollar,” Darcy said, “and our taxpayers get the biggest bang for their bucks.”

Rumelt’s comments were almost in direct opposition, focusing on the handling of money at the town’s scandal-ridden animal shelter earlier this year, and what he called wasteful spending on dozens of unnecessary flyers.

“What is the town council doing about jobs, housing, taxes?” Rumelt asked. He went on to say that the town government has a “fear of density” and that it’s time to “get past that” because there is a serious need for affordable housing.