For more than a decade, Michaelle Solages has represented the community where she grew up, focusing on projects she says are meant to improve residents’ quality of life.
The 41-year-old Elmont native has occupied the 22nd Assembly District seat since 2013. A graduate of Carey High School, in Franklin Square, and Hofstra University, Solages now chairs the Assembly Committee on Local Governments.
As she runs for another term, she said she hopes to build on her work in Albany while addressing residents’ concerns about affordability, child care, transportation and economic development.
One long-running project is the planned community center at 570 Elmont Road. After nearly seven years of negotiations among the developer, Empire State Development and state officials, the building is now under the YMCA’s control and is expected to be operated by the organization.
The center, Solages said, is meant to serve the entire community. “It’s not a YMCA project,” she said. “This is Elmont community.”
The YMCA has begun meeting with residents and community groups to gather input on the center. Solages said those discussions will lead to a larger forum, in which residents can comment on plans for basketball courts, summer programs and senior activities.
She also pointed to the redevelopment of Belmont Park and UBS Arena as sources of jobs and economic growth. She has been involved in discussions about the site throughout her time in office, she said, and wants local residents to benefit from the investment.
Her constituents often raise concerns about utility bills, housing costs and child care, Solages said. She has opposed Liberty Water’s proposed rate increases, and wants stronger scrutiny of utility companies seeking higher rates.
Child care and early education are also among her priorities — especially expanding pre-K access and supporting child care providers. “I think child care workers should be treated as educators,” she said.
As chair of the Local Governments Committee, Solages has emphasized transparency in local government. Residents deserve a clearer understanding of how public money is spent, she said, particularly when businesses receive tax incentives from industrial development agencies.
Transportation is another issue constituents have brought to her office. Solages said her staff has worked with NICE Bus and Nassau County officials on accessibility concerns, including barriers for wheelchair users and inaccessible bus stops. “Anybody should be able to use the bus,” she said.
Solages did not set out to enter politics. After college she struggled to find work in sports medicine, the field she had planned to pursue. She eventually got involved in political campaigns and worked in the office of her brother, Nassau County Legislator Carrié Solages.
When redistricting created a new Assembly seat in 2012, community members encouraged her to run. She won, and more than a decade later, Solages said, her commitment remains rooted in the community that shaped her.
“This is the community I’m from,” she said. “For me, this is not like a job. This is how can I make my community better, and how can I make the people that raised me proud.”
Solages’s Republican challenger, Robert Inzerillo, did not respond to the Herald’s request for a roundtable interview.
