Elect D’Esposito to Town Council

Anthony D’Esposito, 34, of Island Park, is running for the Town of Hempstead’s 4th District seat he was appointed to in February, when Anthony Santino became town supervisor. Douglas Mayer, 54, of East Rockaway, is challenging D’Esposito.

As Island Park’s fire chief during and after Hurricane Sandy, D’Esposito helped save lives; coordinated the efforts of firefighters and other first responders, utility workers and volunteers from all over who came to the area to help; and organized the feeding, clothing and sheltering of residents of both the village and the town. In the years since, and during his eight months in office, he has never lost focus on residents’ needs.

When he received complaints about the condition of roads on Barnum Island, he worked with the town to get them repaved, and he has spearheaded efforts to repair potholes, clear dead trees, deal with “zombie” houses and resolve traffic and parking issues. He is supporting the transit-oriented construction on Barnum Island and the revitalization of downtown Baldwin.

Mayer appears to be a qualified candidate, and is concerned about the safety of the southern areas of the town in the event of another major storm. He says he would like town roads to be repaired faster, and wants to bring town officials, business owners, landlords and residents together to work on the revitalization of downtown areas. We hope he stays involved in politics.

Nonetheless, D’Esposito is the better choice. Since being appointed, he has made it his business to be out and about, meeting and talking with those he represents. He has gained valuable experience working with different branches of government, and with it, intimate knowledge of the town’s repair and reconstruction needs. We urge voters to support him on Election Day.

EDITOR’S NOTE: an earlier version of this endorsement that appeared in the print edition it was incorrectly stated that Anthony D'Esposito supported transit-oriented construction on Harbor Island. He supports transit oriented construction on Barnum Island. He opposes a proposed multifamily development at Harbor Island, which the Hempstead town board has sued to prevent. Updated 11/2/16