Thursday, October 22, 2026
Joe Scianablo says residents across the Town of Hempstead are asking for lower costs, safer communities and a government that puts taxpayers ahead of political connections.
The Garden City resident and Marine combat veteran is making those concerns central to his second campaign for Hempstead town supervisor, challenging incumbent John Ferretti. Scianablo, a former New York City police officer and prosecutor, said conversations with residents have shaped his grassroots campaign.
“We’re hearing from residents in the Town of Hempstead that they’re concerned about affordability, safety and protecting taxpayer dollars,” Scianablo said. “That’s going to be our focus this cycle.”
Scianablo, 49, enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1996 and served in Iraq before joining the NYPD, where he specialized in domestic violence. After retiring, he earned his law degree and pursued a legal career focused on justice and public safety.
He said his background in the military, law enforcement and the courtroom has prepared him to lead the town, particularly as residents raise questions about spending, development and access to services.
One of his primary concerns is the town's budget. Although the current administration has cited a 2026 general fund tax levy cut and proposed tax freeze, Scianablo questioned the sustainability of its finances.
“Objectively speaking, it’s very concerning,” he said. “Yes, the taxes are frozen, but how? Where is this money coming from then?”
His campaign's preliminary budget review identified what he described as a 97 percent increase in miscellaneous fund spending and millions of dollars being transferred from the town’s Highway Department. He also questioned the town's reliance on selling municipal property to help close a budget gap.
“The first thing that we’re going to be doing is have financial experts review not just the budget, but every town-owned property, every major expenditure, every department,” he said. “Just like I did as a prosecutor, we’re going to find and hunt down the wasteful spending, and we’re going to redirect those resources right back in the community where they fall.”
Scianablo said he would eliminate unnecessary spending without cutting essential services, rebuild financial reserves and direct more resources toward infrastructure, including road repairs and snow removal.
Housing and development are other priorities. He attributed overdevelopment partly to zoning variances and inconsistent enforcement of existing building codes, arguing that officials should work with the individual communities to preserve neighborhood character by understanding their needs.
“If we can just start complying with our own building codes within the town, we can eliminate a lot of this overdevelopment and overbuilding,” he said.
On public safety, Scianablo said he would continue working with local law enforcement while expanding resources for survivors of domestic violence and their children. He said the closure of The Safe Center LI has heightened the need for services for vulnerable residents.
He also called for greater transparency in town government and more opportunities for residents to participate in decisions. Scianablo proposed holding town halls regularly, making meetings more accessible to residents who work during the day and ensuring that communities have a voice beyond Election Day.
Ultimately, Scianablo said he hopes voters will judge his candidacy on local issues rather than party affiliation.
“It’s not meant to be political,” he said. “We’re focused on the right and wrong, not the right and left.”
