For Joylette Williams, a run for Hempstead town clerk is an extension of a career she said has centered on education, community involvement and public service.
Williams, 55, a Democrat, was born and raised in North Carolina, but came to New York at 22 to attend Columbia University’s Teachers College. She moved to Hempstead in 2001, and has taught English at Nassau Community College since 2002.
Her involvement in local government began with an appointment as a Village of Hempstead trustee. Six weeks after her term ended, she was elected to the Hempstead Board of Education, where she has served for four years. Her current term runs through 2028. She is also a member of the Town of Hempstead Industrial Development Agency board.
Williams lost to Republican incumbent Maureen O’Connell in the race for Nassau County clerk in 2025, which, she said, taught her to more clearly communicate her priorities and commitment to public service. “What I learned is about presentation, and also about what the platform should be in relation to what the residents need,” Williams said at a Roundtable with Herald reporters. “That helps people understand that I’m about service — that's my priority.”
Williams’s campaigning has focused on access, transparency and independence, with a focus on streamlining residents’ interactions with the clerk’s office, particularly when requesting public records.
She proposed developing a mobile application that would allow people to access town departments and track Freedom of Information Law requests in real time rather than calling, emailing or visiting the office for updates.
Williams also wants to hold workshops explaining what information residents are entitled to request, and how to obtain licenses and other documents. “It shouldn't be such hard work just to get the information that you need,” she said.
She believes the clerk should release legally accessible information even when doing so conflicts with the wishes of other town officials. “The independence of the office comes from when the clerk must stand up to the town supervisor or any members of the Town Board,” Williams said. “For example, I’m honoring this request even if you didn’t want this information to get out to the public.”
That can include a resident requesting information about the town budget. Her responsibility, she said, would be to residents rather than other elected officials. “I do not work for you — you did not hire me,” she said. “I work for the people, and I was elected by the people.”
Williams said she had heard that residents were concerned about favoritism on the part of clerk’s office employees in handling some services and public-record requests. If elected, she said, she would review the office’s procedures to determine whether requests are being dealt with consistently, and look for ways to make the process more efficient.
Williams said she had spoken with people who told her they had received 30- or 60-day extensions on FOIL requests for records she believes should be readily accessible.
“A clerk should be an advocate for the people, not just someone who signs off on a dog license,” she said. “Although that's important — I'm not saying it isn't — but if you're elected by the people, you should be able to serve the people.”
