Election 2017

Solages, Sapienza vie for 3rd L.D.

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Incumbent Carrié Solages, left, will face off with Paul Sapienza in the race for legislative District 3 on Nov. 7.
Incumbent Carrié Solages, left, will face off with Paul Sapienza in the race for legislative District 3 on Nov. 7.

 

Republican Paul Sapienza, owner of Sapizena Pastry Inc., on Hempstead Turnpike, and president of the Elmont Chamber of Commerce, will challenge Legislator Carrié Solages (D-Elmont) on Nov. 7 for the county’s 3rd Legislative District seat.

Solages has touted his record of fighting to have the Nassau County Police Department’s 5th Precinct reopened, and succeeding, as well as putting pressure on the Town of Hempstead Industrial Development Agency to be more transparent with taxpayers during the Green Acres Mall tax-break debacle.

Sapienza credits his leadership at the chamber over the last several years for fostering economic development in the community, and believes his success as a businessman — balancing budgets, minimizing deficits — qualifies him to be a legislator.

The race had not received much media attention until June, when Solages was arrested in a domestic incident and charged with misdemeanor assault and endangering the welfare of a child, to which he pleaded not guilty. Police have alleged that he assaulted his girlfriend, the mother of his 3-year-old son, in their shared Valley Stream home after he flew into a rage when he couldn’t find his stash of marijuana.

Subsequently, the county legislature’s minority leader, Kevan Abrahams (D-Freeport), expelled Solages from the party’s caucus and stripped him of legislative committee assignments.

Solages claims he has proof that the charges are false, and is due to appear in First District Court on Oct. 23.

Solages’s party holds a substantial registration advantage in the 3rd District. Records from the Nassau County Board of Elections show that there are 30,385 registered Democrats in the district, as opposed to 8,852 Republicans.

The district, which was re-drawn in 2013, comprises Elmont, Valley Stream, South Floral Park, Inwood and parts of Lawrence and North Woodmere. Currently, Solages is serving his third term as the legislator for the district. The Herald recently asked the candidates about issues that are important to residents of the 3rd District.

 


Herald: If elected, how would you advocate for taxpayers in all Industrial Development Agency-related manners going forward?

Carrié Solages: I exposed, educated and organized the community on this important issue. The payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreement was revoked after pressure from my office and the community. I will continue to pressure the IDA to renegotiate the PILOT agreement instead of a long, drawn-out battle in court. In addition, I advocated that the mall must make payments to the tax base while the issue is pending in court, and that was granted by the court. I will continue advocating for residents of Valley Stream and the other areas affected by this illegal deal.

Paul Sapienza: All IDA applications should be made public. Also, the locality should be notified and the application should be posted on their website for all to see. I would mandate that applicants meet with all taxing entities to determine fiscal impact.  

Herald: What kind of development do you think is appropriate at Belmont Park to promote the economy in the area? 

Solages: I support development that adheres to the Request for Proposals, which was shaped in part by the years of advocacy from the community and I. Specifically, the RFP requires that the community has a seat at the table in making this important decision. Development at that site must include the construction of a fully functional Long Island Rail Road train station and parking garage. In addition, I have asked our state officials that development at the site must include an economic development zone that flows east along Hempstead Turnpike and stopping at the Elmont Road intersection. This extends economic incentives to businesses — this way the center of Elmont is improved, because I am tired of seeing depressed business activity in the heart of Elmont. I want to create a better commercial base in Elmont so that residents are not the only ones paying into the tax base. The tax burden for residents will be reduced.

Sapienza: I believe any economic development at the site should be sustainable, pay taxes, create jobs and have synergy with horse racing — whether it’s sports, shops, hotels, restaurants or any combination of these. 

Herald: What do you feel is the biggest priority for western Nassau County?

Solages: Nassau residents pay the highest property taxes in the country. This is not sustainable. I care for my parents and others who live very humbly and just want to enjoy the American dream that they worked so hard to acquire. As a result, I have held the highest number of tax grievance workshops and broadcast them on YouTube. Going forward, I would like all tax bills to come with a grievance and/or pre-grievance award amount. It is unfair for residents to grieve their property taxes every year. Also, I would like to prohibit elected officials from receiving donations from tax grievance firms. How can we change the assessment system if the companies that benefit from it continue to influence our elected officials? I supported a measure to make our local governments share services so that the cost to our taxpayers is reduced. I also blocked millions of dollars of bonding and spending, preventing politically connected firms from getting county contracts and money.

Sapienza: Economic development and the revitalization of commercial corridors, including Hempstead Turnpike, Meacham Avenue, Dutch Broadway, Linden Boulevard and Merrick Road. This would include promoting small and local businesses, bringing accountability to absentee landlords and providing job-creation incentives. 

Herald: Why do you feel that you are the better candidate?

 Solages: I am the better candidate because my legislative record is exceptional. I have listened to my community and have produced results. I am very effective in advocating for resources when higher powers cut essential services. When Nassau Inter-County Express cut the N1 weekend bus service, I was able to reinstate services based on my ability to work with our county executive. When constituents feared the construction of a casino at Belmont that would bring the neighborhood down and increase crime, I led the successful movement to stop the casino construction. I seek to continue this record of excellence. 

Sapienza: I believe that I bring a community-minded approach to the county legislature, not a political one. I am a lifelong resident — except for the 14 years I lived in Baldwin — who not only knows the community, but has been involved in the evolution and changes that have taken place over the last 50 plus years. In addition, my family has spent generations contributing to the community in all our neighborhoods.