Bruce Blakeman vs. Milagros Vicente

Previously a Town of Hempstead councilman 20 years ago, Bruce Blakeman was appointed to the board in January. Milagros Vicente ran in the 2012 Democratic primary for state assembly, but lost to Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages.

The town’s third district includes Atlantic Beach, East Atlantic Beach, Inwood, Lawrence, North and South Valley Stream and Meadowmere Park, and portions of Cedarhurst, Franklin Square, Malverne, Valley Stream, West Hempstead and Woodmere.

Herald: The town’s bond rating was dropped by Moody’s in April. What factors should the town be aware of to help ensure good financial footing?

Bruce Blakeman: After Superstorm Sandy, Hurricane Irene, a long national recession and the two worst winters in my memory, the Town of Hempstead like other governmental agencies has had challenges of monumental proportions. Nevertheless, the town remains on sound financial footing. The unfunded mandate requiring the town to subsidize tuition for students attending college in Manhattan is a ridiculous burden costing the Town of Hempstead millions of dollars. We will continue to keep costs under control and taxes down.

Milagros Vicente: The most basic focus needs to be on ensuring that recurring revenue matches recurring expenses, rather than relying on borrowing or using reserve funds — just as it is with any budget. This means finding ways to curb spending. Some things are obvious, such as slashing the funds spent on political mailings at the taxpayers’ expense. More fundamentally, it’s time for the town to do a thorough review of every operation in every department, and cut what isn’t necessary. That doesn’t mean cutting services, it means delivering them more efficiently. Such a review is long overdue.

H: Throughout Hempstead, town roads need repairing and, in some areas, a redesign due to traffic volume. What should the town’s plan be to maintain its roads?

Blakeman: These past two winters and Superstorm Sandy have materially weakened our infrastructure, including our streets and highways. The town is rebuilding and repairing our roadways as quickly as possible. We have almost doubled the number of trucks working on pothole and road repairs.