Herald endorsement goes to Goosby

Residents of the Town of Hempstead’s 1st Councilmatic District should be proud to have two intelligent and qualified candidates competing to represent them on the Hempstead town board.

After serving for more than a decade on the board, the Democratic incumbent, Dorothy Goosby, still has a passion for helping her constituents. It is clear that Goosby will continue to make sure their needs and concerns do not fall on deaf ears, and we believe that voters should return her to office on Nov. 3.

During her current term, Goosby has helped revamp Roosevelt’s business district on Nassau Road with facade enhancements to a strip of retail shops and the installation of benches, plantings and a Victorian clock tower in the hamlet’s business corridor. These initiatives have kicked off Roosevelt’s revitalization project, which is expected to bring in thousands of dollars for construction projects and refurbishments.

Goosby also understands how important it is for an elected official to be a visible leader in his or her district. She has held several community meetings in Roosevelt to discuss the future of an office building on Nassau Road that has been vacant for more than 20 years. As a result of her efforts, the Nassau Health Care Corporation will soon open a new state-of-the-art health care clinic there, giving residents easier access to medical help. She also held community meetings in other areas of the district, including Baldwin and Uniondale, which have enabled the town to develop a better working relationship with the taxpayers.

A longtime Village of Hempstead resident, Goosby is also working to ensure that 1st District residents reap the benefits of the proposed Lighthouse project, which is expected to create thousands of jobs and generate $71 million a year in tax revenue.

Her Republican challenger, Tracy Worthy, may be a political newcomer, but she has the skills that are needed to represent her district on the town level. Worthy not only possesses the intelligence and tenacity that would make her an effective elected official, but she has a number of realistic solutions to issues facing the district.

A lifelong Hempstead resident, she also understands that more public participation is needed at town board meetings, and we applaud her for efforts to inform residents of the role the town plays in their communities. Some of those residents have expressed the need for a change in leadership in the district, and if you are one of them, then Worthy makes a fine alternative. There is no wrong choice here.

We feel, however, that Goosby is a more experienced candidate and that she will continue to fulfill her responsibilities as a councilwoman. We urge voters to re-elect her to a fifth term.