By John C. O'Connell
Town of Hempstead residents in three of the six new council districts will see more than they might expect of their newly elected representatives after November, thanks to a lottery drawing held last week to determine the initial length of the councilmatic terms.
As a result of the court-ordered drawing at the Nassau County Board of Elections in Mineola on Wednesday, August 23rd, candidates elected to fill council seats in Districts One, Four, and Six will serve initially for only one year, meaning they will need to begin campaigning for reelection almost immediately. The lottery drawing also determined that the initial terms of representatives in Districts Two, Three, and Five will be for three years. After the initial terms of one and three years, all council members will run for four year terms.
"It's fine with me," said Anthony Santino, currently an at-large Town Councilman running in District Four, one of the one-year initial terms. "I love the process of elections, and I love meeting people; I see it as a way to keep getting closer to the community. I see it as an opportunity to continue doing what I've been doing, --- getting close to the people I serve."
Town council members have served town-wide before U.S. District Court Judge John Gleeson ruled in a suit filed by Hempstead resident Dorothy Goosby and others, claiming that the at-large system unfairly discriminated against minorities, effectively denying them fair representation. Judge Gleeson agreed, and his order has resulted in six discrete geographic districts, each to have its own council member.
The Town charter calls for staggered terms in odd years, so the judge also ordered that the initial terms be decided by lot, three for three years and three for one year, after which the terms would revert to four years for all. The staggered four year terms will then have half the council seats up for election every two years. Elections will be held for Districts One, Four, and Six in 2000, 2001, 2005, 2009, etc., and in Districts Two, Three, and Five in 2000, 2003, 2007, 2011, etc.
District One's council race pits Democrat Dorothy Goosby, now an incumbent at-large councilwoman, against Republican Gerald Wright. District One includes Hempstead, Uniondale, Roosevelt, and part of Freeport.
District Two has Democrat N. Scott Banks, an at-large incumbent, running against Republican Joseph J. Kearney, also an at-large incumbent. District Two includes North Valley Stream, Elmont, Floral Park, part of West Hempstead and Garden City.
District Three's Republican James Darcy is currently the New York State Assemblyman and runs against school board trustee Democrat Eleanor Sciglibaglio. District Three includes Valley Stream, Malverne, most of Lynbrook, South Valley Stream, Woodmere, Inwood, Cedarhurst, Woodsburgh, Lawrence and Atlantic Beach.
James Darcy, Republican candidate for District Three, told the Herald that he's "pleased with the three year term our district drew. Campaigning obviously takes time and resources that could better be spent serving the district's needs."
Running for District Four's council seat are Republican Anthony Santino, now an at-large incumbent, and Democrat Jerry Lamonica. District Four includes Hewlett, Hewlett Bay Park, Hewlett Harbor, Hewlett Neck, part of Lynbrook, East Rockaway, Rockville Centre, Oceanside, Island Park, Baldwin, Baldwin Harbor, South Hempstead and Barnum Island.
District Five sees Democrat Rita Kestenbaum, an at-large incumbent, against Republican Angelina Cullin. District Five includes North Bellmore, Bellmore, Merrick, Lido Beach, Wantagh, North Wantagh, Seaford, and part of Freeport.
In District Six, Republican Gary Hudes and Democrat Viki DeJong. District Six includes North Merrick, East Meadow, Salisbury and Levittown.
"It really doesn't have much of an impact on me," said Gary Hudes, a Republican running in District Six, an initial one year term seat. :I am a community worker, and I have projects and plans which I work on continuously, and have for 20 years. This won't effect that work in the community."
