Michael Lucchesi views himself an asset to legislature

Michael Lucchesi is confident his financial expertise is greatly needed in Nassau County — particularly now while the county is in what he describes as the best financial shape in decades.

“Having a diverse skill set on a board is important,” Lucchesi told reporters during a recent Herald Roundtable session. “I'm on the Rockville Centre Public Library Board and we went through a banking crisis last year. Just from my experience — and anyone on the board or the library directors will tell you — I provided a lot of value during an uneasy time.”

A Rockville Centre native, Lucchesi wants to represent not only his hometown, but also Hempstead village, which came together as part of the new district maps.

“I want to be a true representative for both communities,” the Republican said. “I plan on being completely fair and even as far as my resources and time.”

Lucchesi has put boots on the ground throughout the campaign, meeting as many local voters and community leaders he can to best gauge the issues that are most important to both them.

One of the biggest issues is infrastructure. Several county roadways are in need of major repair, and there are a number of county intersections that pose potential risk. That includes a portion of Hempstead Avenue, where a Hewitt Elementary School student was almost hit recently while trying to cross the street.

Infrastructure is a big issue for the district, he says, as there are many county roadways in need of repair and county intersections that pose a risk for pedestrians and vehicles.

“I think there’s low-hanging fruit,” Lucchesi said. “I could spend my whole term fixing intersections and making them safer for kids. I think that’s the most pressing issue.”

While schools are often the biggest burden on property taxes, Lucchesi plans to keep county taxes frozen, as they have been for more than a decade. This has helped contribute to a surplus of funds which he says he plans on putting back toward economic development projects.

“People want restaurants. They want somewhere to go. They want something to have pride in,” Lucchesi said. “Obviously, we need more affordable housing. So, I think we could solve both issues in Hempstead by maybe trying to do more dual-use” development.

Lucchesi is open to providing more housing in Hempstead and Rockville Centre, but not the way Gov. Kathy Hochul planned to do it, relinquishing local control of zoning to the state for specific parcels of land near train stations in order to promote high-density residential development.

Lucchesi's focus also looks to improve public safety by providing more resources to police.

“I think what we need is more collaboration,” he said. “I want to try to find ways to collaborate with the Nassau County Police Department and village police departments to reduce crime.”

In light of the increase of hate crimes across Nassau County, Lucchesi says he’d also work with police and intelligence agencies to determine where it is coming from and denounce it.

“I have zero tolerance for it,” he said. “I’m going to roll up my sleeves and go in there and get the job done.”

Lucchesi could end up being a determining factor for the Nassau County Republicans to secure a supermajority. Since the GOP currently holds a 12-7 majority, it means that if things remain the same — and the Democrats cannot flip one of the other seats — the vote could determine whether or not the Republicans will have veto power.

“I think that would help my district,” Lucchesi said. “If District 1 were to give the super majority to the winning team … I think it would be advantageous to both villages in District 1, as far as resources go.”