From flooding fixes to affordable housing, County Legislator Debra Mulé says her priorities remain strengthening infrastructure and community spaces as she seeks a fifth term in office.
The Democrat, who currently represents the 6th Legislative District, which encompasses parts of Baldwin, Freeport and Oceanside, has served in the minority but has continued to find ways to deliver for residents, and plans to push for progress on long-delayed projects if she is re-elected in November.
“I was very proud, this term, to finally get Centennial Park finished for the Roosevelt community,” Mulé said during a recent roundtable with Herald reporters. “That project was a long time coming, and I really believe that park is a model for communities across the country. They pack a lot into less than three acres — it’s a crown jewel.”
Mulé said she was struggled to move forward with some Community Revitalization Program projects, as a result of what she described as a “political blockade” by County Executive Bruce Blakeman’s administration. Legislators, she explained, are each allotted district funding for local capital projects, but she claims that many of the projects overseen by Democrats have stalled.
“The score is now 56 to 2,” she said. “That means 56 Democratic projects have been stopped at the county executive’s desk. My hope is that with a new county executive, we can get these projects going.”
Infrastructure, Mulé added, remains a central focus of hers. Baldwin continues to deal with aging sewer systems and sinkholes, including several along Grand Avenue.
“The sinkholes happen because the sewer pipes are well past their useful life,” she said. “Cracks form, the dirt underneath the pavement goes into the pipes, and when there’s nothing left to hold the road up, you get sinkholes.”
The first phase of the Grand Avenue Complete Streets Project — from Merrick Road to Stanton Avenue — was completed under Mulé’s leadership. There area plans to extend improvements north to the Southern State Parkway, representing more than $20 million in total investment.
She also pointed to Nassau’s housing crisis, citing the new Baldwin Commons development, which drew more than 6,000 applicants for 60 affordable units. “That shows you the need,” she said. “There’s clearly a hunger for affordable housing.”
Mulé praised similar redevelopment in Freeport, including the Moxey Rigby apartments, which reserve units for veterans and seniors.
If she is re-elected, she said, she will continue focusing on restoring Baldwin’s historic Kellogg House, environmental revitalization at Brookside Preserve, and finding a long-term solution for the Oakwood Beach Club property in Baldwin Harbor.
“That site could be something really special — ideally green space,” Mulé said. “My dream is to see something nice happen there.”
