By JUDY RATTNER and MIKE RUSSO
Campaigning for a sixth term as a Nassau County legislator, 47-year-old Joseph Scannell (D-Baldwin) says he is running on his record of delivering for the residents of the 5th District.
Scannell's candidacy, which he officially announced at the Nassau County Democratic Convention on May 28, sets up a rematch of the 2007 election, in which he defeated Chris Browne, a Republican from Rockville Centre, in a close race.
Scannell, a lifelong resident, is a graduate of Baldwin High School and a former Eagle scout. A practicing attorney, he serves as chairman of the Legislature's Public Safety Committee.
He cited the many projects and services he has brought to the district, which encompasses Baldwin, Rockville Centre, Freeport, Lakeview and South Hempstead. "I love my job," Scannell said. "I stayed close to home because I want to make it a better place. From potholes to the [Nunley's] carousel, on every project we hit the ground running."
A self-described fiscal conservative and social moderate, Scannell has been renominated by the Democrats and endorsed by the Independent, Working Families and Conservative parties. His views on lean and efficient county government with consolidated departments dovetail, he said, with the views of the local Conservative party, and are the reason the party endorsed him again.
"People's main concern in Nassau County are taxes, and I'm proud that over the last several years we've taken some real aggressive conservative measures with our budgets," Scannell said. He added that the county portion of residents' tax bill has shrunk from 22 percent to 17 percent, and that the county has received 13 straight bond rating upgrades, rising from junk bond to AAA status. "We've held the line on taxes for five out of six years," he said. "We've consolidated Nassau County departments and have the lowest work force in 30 years."
But while Scannell has partnered with County Executive Tom Suozzi's administration on many issues, he says he has no problem with putting his own district first.
On consolidation
One issue Scannell doesn't support is the recently approved New N.Y. Reorganization and Citizen Empowerment Act, which enables the county and citizens to more easily dissolve or consolidate local governments such as villages and special districts. The bill has been widely criticized by those entities that find themselves in the cross hairs.
"I think the village of Rockville Centre and the fire department do an outstanding job, and both are irreplaceable," he said.
On property taxes
Scannell says his No. 1 priority is to hold down taxes. People are leaving Nassau County, he said, because they can't afford their property taxes. He cited Suozzi's three-point plan to close an anticipated $130 million budget gap in 2009, which includes federal stimulus money, county union concessions, and revenue-enhancing initiatives requiring state approval in order to save or maintain county Youth Board and social programs.
Because two of the revenue enhancers - an additional tax on cigarettes and a surcharge on traffic tickets - have not yet passed, county legislators also passed a home-heating energy tax, which Scannell estimated would result in a $40 to $70 increase for the average homeowner.
Projects and services
Scannell pointed to his record of initiating community meetings: He has held 93 throughout the district on topics including crime, consumer fraud, assessment, hurricane preparedness, West Nile virus, tax challenges and exemptions, foreclosure and financial literacy and child-safety seats. He also provided 10 free mammography vans. "People are unaware of the resources available to them," he said. "These meetings give good information that people don't know about."
He has delivered projects to the district through the county's capital revitalization discretionary funds, focusing on projects involving safety and quality of life and calling that the most fun part of his job. Over the past nine years, he has brought in funds that enabled capital improvements in the Sandel Senior Center, the Recreation Center and the Rockville Centre Historical Society. Current grants include items for the Rockville Centre fire and police departments, and refurbishing the Recreation Center's gym.
On the campaign
Scannell prevailed over Republican challenger Chris Browne in a close contest in 2007. Browne, a 32-year-old attorney from Rockville Centre, is taking him on again, but Scannell said his party is ready..
His first encounter with Browne, he said, was the "nastiest, ugliest campaign I've been through." He said that the 17 political mailings sent out by the state's Republican Committee during that campaign, including a postcard of a masked gunman accompanied by the words, "Joe Scannell is Robbing Taxpayers," hurt him politically.
But of his current campaign, focused on the Nov. 3 election, Scannell said, "We're prepared, ready and excited about it."
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