Ali looks to improve quality of life for all

If there is anyone who is tough on crime, Sheharyar Ali says he is.

Running for the Nassau County Legislature seat currently held by Carrié Solages, the prosecutor  has wielded the law through district attorneys in both Nassau County and Brooklyn, bringing justice and holding criminals accountable.

Ali is from Brooklyn, but spent the better part of his childhood and young adult life in Elmont. The 30-year-old father of two firmly believes in the promise of his district as one suitable for families to raise their children in peace while enjoying the benefits of sitting at the gates of New York City.

But he believes that promise is under threat.

“I feel, over the years, that suburban quality of life has been affected. It’s getting more congested,” Ali told reporters during a recent Herald Roundtable session. “The quality of life is just degrading. And instead of packing up my bags and moving, I decided to do something about it and actually step into a race and make a positive impact on the community.”

Ali’s aim is squarely on the island’s affordability crisis, looking to ease the tax burden by cutting down on excessive spending and holding down the tax rate.

“The county has a huge surplus,” Ali said. “We have the money. There’s no reason why we should be raising people’s taxes.”

Ali is also keen on investing in affordable housing that respects the home rule of local zoning boards while still meeting the needs of “longtime homeowners, recent homeowners, and young people looking to buy a home and stay in Nassau County.”

While a relative newcomer to the political scene, Ali has made waves in his community as something of a local hero. When the distribution of baby formula dried nationwide last year, Ali worked with his brother Hamza Akram to collect nearly 300 bottles of baby formula to distribute at the Masjid Hamza Islamic Center Mosque in Valley Stream.

In response to the overwhelming need, Ali contacted county agencies to give out shipments of formula to shelters across the county through a partnership between the Nassau County Office of Asian American Affairs, and the Nassau County Department of Social Services.

“I’m a Muslim American. And there’s a huge influx of a Muslim American population in my district,” Ali said. “I feel like it’s a population that’s been ignored for a very, very long time. So, there’s excitement now people feel like they have a voice. People feel like they’re being heard, and they’re being represented.”

The increase of police patrols to protect mosques and other sensitive areas has been nothing but a win in the eyes of Ali. He’s worked closely with the Nassau County Police Department to have officers come out and speak to the students at the Hamza Academy in Valley Stream to show children a human face behind the badge.

He believes ensuring an atmosphere of safety ultimately starts with forging “a positive relationship of mutual trust and respect between the police, the local legislator, and the community.”

“That’s how you have a safe neighborhood,” Ali said, “and a safe community.”