Re-elect Murray town supervisor

These days, it’s hard to find a government that isn’t teetering on the brink of financial collapse. Too often at the local, state and federal levels, years of runaway spending have led to massive deficits that will take decades to dig out from. What is government’s answer? More often than not, it’s borrow and then borrow some more, mortgaging our grandchildren’s future.

Amid all of the financial chaos we’ve seen in recent years, there is, thankfully, a bright spot –– the Town of Hempstead, led by Supervisor Kate Murray, a Republican from Levittown. Under Murray’s leadership, the town has remained a fortress of financial stability, earning it the highest Wall Street credit ratings.

In recent years the town has not only held the line on spending and taxes, it has also been able to pay down past debts. That’s good old-fashioned fiscal conservatism at its best.

At the same time, the town has not noticeably reduced the services that we depend on day-in and day-out. The parks are, generally speaking, immaculate. The pools are safe and more than adequately staffed. Garbage is collected on time. Town roads are, for the most part, pothole-free.

For these reasons, and many more, the Herald once again endorses Murray for town supervisor.

How, exactly, has Murray been able to accomplish what appears to be an economic and governmental miracle, considering all that has gone wrong in our country lately? The key appears to be the town’s relentless drive to reduce spending. For every three employees who retire or leave, the town hires back only two. Murray has acknowledged that that practice cannot go on indefinitely, or services will eventually have to be reduced. But for now it appears to be working, enabling the town to balance its budget while avoiding layoffs and furloughs. Hiring fewer people, of course, means that remaining town employees must pick up the slack, which, to date, they have done admirably.