Re-elect Kate Murray as Hempstead Town clerk

In the race for Town of Hempstead Clerk, the Herald endorses incumbent Kate Murray.

Previously holding the position of clerk from 2002 to 2003 before becoming the first female Town of Hempstead Supervisor — a position she held until 2016 — Murray is well qualified to remain in her current position, for which she was re-elected in 2019.

Having taken office shortly before the coronavirus pandemic began, Murray, 59, of Levittown, quickly made changes to ensure that the clerk’s office would remain open and work efficiently. This included moving many services to outdoor sheds rented by the town, so residents and employees would feel comfortable when services needed to be completed in-person.

Because the clerk’s office was able to remain open, it served Hempstead residents throughout the pandemic. Additionally, for the first time ever, Murray performed marriage ceremonies over Zoom, having been granted permission to do so by the State of New York.

Murray also oversaw implementation of a sticker-less parking pass system in June 2020. Starting with a pilot program in Oceanside, the sticker-less system became available to the rest of the town in March this year. The clerk’s office even made the process contactless — residents are able to register their license plates online, and public safety officers check plates digitally to ensure vehicles are registered. About two-thirds of commuters have registered online for the program.

Murray also put many applications online, and she has continued the Child Safety ID program and the Senior ID Program, which collect a sample of information from residents in the case of an emergency. Additionally, she started a Special Needs ID Program.

Murray reassured the Herald that the clerk’s office is able to serve all residents, regardless of language, as staff speak a number of different languages. In November, the town will unveil a new website that will allow residents to switch to languages other than English.

Murray’s opponent, Olena Nicks, is likeable and presented her ideas well, including an idea to add languages to the town website. She did not, however, give us reason enough to vote for her.

Cast your ballot for Kate Murray.