Hempstead officials take their oaths

Former Councilman Anthony Santino was sworn into office on Jan. 5 as town supervisor at the Town of Hempstead inauguration. The ceremony was held at Hempstead Town Hall in the Nathan L.H. Bennett Pavilion, where returning council members Bruce Blakeman, Erin King Sweeney and Edward Ambrosino were also sworn into office. Nasrin Ahmad resumed her position as town clerk and Donald Clavin as receiver of taxes.

The ceremony started off with the presentation of colors by the U.S. Marine Color Guard from Garden City and an opening prayer by Rabbi Barry Dov Swartz, chaplain of the Nassau County Police Department. A short video presentation of Hempstead town and its 800,000 residents was featured before Councilwoman Dorothy Goosby and Councilman Gary Hudes made their opening remarks. “An impressive and lengthy record of accomplishment has certainly distinguished our new supervisor as a respected government official,” Hudes said. “He has a reputation for compassion partnered with his tireless advocacy for residents of America’s largest township.”

Former Supervisor Joseph Mondello led the induction of Santino as supervisor. Santino was first elected to the Hempstead town board in 1993. A self-described fiscal conservative, Santino said he and his fellow town board colleagues have crafted budgets that have frozen total town taxes in four of the last five years while maintaining town services and programs.

“He is one of the hardest working humans I have ever had the privilege of working with,” Mondello said. “He is brilliant, sensitive, loves people and belongs in this job because he wants to do the right thing.”

Among many of the concerns that Santino identified, maintaining the town’s strong financial practices and downsizing government was by far his top priority, doing more with less.