Re-elect Darcy in 3rd Town Council District

The Town of Hempstead’s 3rd Council District — which Jim Darcy has been representing since 2001, when council districts were first created — is unique in that it includes several villages, areas that typically receive little service from the town.

But that doesn’t mean the position is inconsequential, because the district also includes several unincorporated areas — Franklin Square, North Valley Stream, West Hempstead, Hewlett, Woodmere and Inwood — where the town councilman is the closest elected official to the people. When they have problems, that is often whom they turn to first, even if they’re not town problems. Darcy prides himself on being able to point people to the right agency or level of government so they can get their concerns addressed.

Last year, after his office received numerous calls from Valley Stream residents about the new flood maps, Darcy called in the right people. The new maps were implemented by the Federal Emergency Management Agency at the request of federal elected officials. Because the issue could only be addressed on the federal level, he brought FEMA officials to Valley Stream not once, but twice, so residents could get answers.

Darcy is being challenged by Owen Rumelt, of West Hempstead. Rumelt said that one of the criticisms he has heard while campaigning is that many of Darcy’s constituents do not know who their councilman is. We endorse Darcy for re-election to the town board, but we want him to take this criticism seriously and make sure he is well-known in all of the communities he serves, not just his hometown of Valley Stream. He should, in fact, be that person people turn to first.

The town board has managed the people’s money wisely over the past decade, earning a top bond rating from Wall Street. Town officials are keeping taxes steady, knowing that homeowners are already overburdened. Darcy has played an important role on this fiscally responsible board.

He also pointed to the expansion of the town’s ANCHOR program for residents with physical and mental disabilities. It is one of the town’s greatest assets, and will soon have a new facility following a September groundbreaking.