Endorsement

Vote for Debra Mulé in the 5th L.D.

Posted

During her time as a county legislator, Democrat Debra Mulé has proved passionate about tackling environmental issues, including pushing for a single-use plastic bag fee before Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed it into state law, cosponsoring a Styrofoam ban and supporting water quality improvement efforts.

Mulé regularly attends events in her district and listens to constituents’ concerns, and the Herald believes her experience as a social worker greatly contributes to her ability to help them, no matter the issue.

She supports redevelopment in Baldwin’s downtown, and helped secure funding for new infrastructure that led to a $10 million state grant for the hamlet. She has championed the Complete Streets project, which calls for repaving, improved drainage, decorative lighting and benches along Grand Avenue.

Mulé is cognizant of the concerns residents in low-lying communities have about flooding, and she dispersed Community Reconstruction Plan and Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery funds to improve local parks. She knows how to work with government officials at all levels to get things done as fast as possible.

Her Republican challenger, Dan Salamone, a graduate of the Molloy College School of Business, told the Herald that he wanted to bring economic development to communities in the 5th L.D., and especially to Baldwin, where the focus is on the overlay district intended to incentivize developers to build without needing to go through the Town of Hempstead Board of Appeals. While Salamone’s intentions seem genuine, he offered no specific plans for that development.

He also said he wanted to research new ways to repair homes and structures that were damaged by Hurricane Sandy to make them more resilient in future storms. While these are laudable ideas, we don’t need any more environmental studies. Rather, we need elected officials who can effectively help homeowners rebuild. We believe Salamone has a promising future and hope he stays involved in politics, but we urge voters to support Mulé on Tuesday.