Baldwin Residents Seek to Succeed Scannell

Two Baldwin residents are vying to succeed Fifth District Legislator Joseph Scannell, who will not be seeking reelection this November.

Democrat Laura Curran, the current president of the Baldwin School Board, will face Debra Pugliese, a Republican who works in marketing. The election takes place on Nov. 5.

Under new district lines, the Fifth District no longer encompasses most of Rockville Centre. Instead, the northeast part of Rockville Centre will be represented in the fifth district (see map above, and/or find out what district you live in by clicking here).

See what Curran and Pugliese think are the biggest issues in the district as they answer our questionnaire.

Tell us about yourself (age, town, profession, family, etc.).

Curran: 45 years old. I've lived in Baldwin for 16 years. I am married and have three children, 5, 8, and 13. I currently serve as president of the Baldwin School Board.

Pugliese: My name is Debbie Pugliese and I am running for the office of Legislator for the 5th Legislative District of Nassau County (Baldwin, Freeport, Merrick , Oceanside, Rockville Centre, and South Hempstead). I am married, 47 years old, a resident of Baldwin for 23 years, and have one child. I am currently the Director of Marketing for ParSal Vending Company. I have also worked for a fortune 500 company and have received my M.B.A in Marketing.

Why are you running for this position?

Curran: I am running for Nassau County legislator because I want to be a strong and vocal advocate for the communities of the 5th LD. I want to do everything I can to preserve all the good things, while making sure we are on solid financial ground.

Pugliese: I am running for legislator to ensure the 5th district will be properly represented and have a strong voice at the county level. My goal as legislator will be to continue to hold the line on property taxes, find sensible cuts and efficiencies in government, work with private sector interests to ensure county-wide economic growth and opportunity, and create an environment in the 5th Legislative District where residents and businesses can prosper. I also feel that when I am in the position I can continue my work to help the people by listening to their concerns and create solutions.

What qualifies you to serve in the position?

Curran: I have come to public service after a career as a reporter at both the New York Daily News and the New York Post. I covered education, politics, and crime, and was often among the first reporters at breaking news scenes. I taught journalism at SUNY Purchase as an adjunct professor. And I have experience in Nassau County government, having worked in the press office part-time from 2005 to 2007.

I am a member of the Baldwin Chamber of Commerce, the Baldwin Civic Association, and served on the board of directors of REFIT, an Island-wide education advocacy organization, and also teach yoga in Baldwin and Rockville Centre. I earned a B.A. in Liberal Arts at Sarah Lawrence College.

Pugliese: Being a community advocate and fighting for issues that matter to this community, matters to me. I am an active member of the Board of Directors for the Baldwin Chamber of Commerce and the St. Christopher School Board. I am a member of the following organizations:  Baldwin Civic Association, Baldwin Historical Society, Friends of Freeport, NAACP Freeport/Roosevelt #2147, Operation SPLASH, St. Christopher Parish Hospitality Committee and the Boy Scouts of America - Theodore Roosevelt Council. I had the following responsibilities in the Boy Scouts, Committee Chairperson of Pack 824, Strategic Planning Committee, Unit Commissioner for Pack 163 in Rockville Centre & Pack 230 in Oceanside.

In addition, over the years, I have worked closely with the Town of Hempstead to have curbs, trees, "Stop" signs, and "Children at Play" signs installed and most recently worked with Nassau County to start a Neighborhood Watch Program in South Hempstead. These relationships will  help me navigate through the different Town and County boundaries to ensure more projects to help our community.

What is your opinion of the most recent budget? Would you have done something differently with it?

Curran: We have so many layers of local government here in Nassau County. We are covered by towns and the county, and we also have two cities and many incorporated villages. Residents often have a hard time figuring out who to turn to solve their problems.

To make the county more effective and efficient, it should focus on its three fundamental responsibilities: public health and safety, infrastructure and providing social services.

I would ensure that the county budget supports these three fundamental responsibilities, and do so in a way that allows our county to be safe and prosperous.

Pugliese: The 2014 budget accomplishes two very important goals; it continues to hold the line on property taxes for the fourth consecutive year and provides the services our residents have come to expect.

What is the biggest issue facing the district?

Curran: While we have some great businesses and restaurants in Baldwin, we also have too many empty storefronts on Grand Ave. I'd like to work across layers of government, and across party lines, to beef up the infrastructure to make it easier for business to thrive.

There is also land around the Freeport train station that is ripe for mixed-use development. The lovely art-deco building just south of the LIRR station could be the anchor to such a development.

These kinds of projects would contribute to the tax base, and also help create an environment that is more attractive and affordable for young people.

Pugliese: As I have stated above, ask any resident or business owner in the 5th Legislative district as to the biggest issue we are facing and most would likely answer taxes and affordability. Many are also concerned about our recovery from Superstorm Sandy, particularly with regard to our sewage treatment infrastructure.

The Bay Park Sewage Treatment Plant serves nearly 500,000 Nassau County residents and processes on average 50 million gallons of sewage daily, including the entirety of the 5th Legislative District. Flooding caused by Superstorm Sandy devastated this facility, knocking many systems offline. The damage was so severe that millions of gallons of raw sewage backed up into people’s homes.

The plan advanced by Nassau County’s engineers calls for nearly $722M to fund rebuilding and storm-hardening efforts. 90% of this amount will be reimbursed by the federal government through FEMA.  

Blatantly ignoring the advice of Nassau County’s expert engineers that failure to approve the total funding request will delay this vital reconstruction, the majority of the Democrats have denied funding for the repair of the Bay Park Facility’s electrical distribution system and other storm hardening measures. As legislator, I will vote to approve this vital funding to ensure that Nassau County’s sewage treatment infrastructure will continue to provide safe and reliable service.

What is the biggest issue facing the county?

Curran: The number-one issue on county voters' minds is taxes. While the county portion of our tax bill is relatively small, the county is in a great position to create a financial climate that is more affordable to more people.

Here are some concrete ways we can do that:

Grow the tax base by making it more attractive and affordable to young people. That will require smart-growth initiatives around already-existing trains stations (Rockville Centre already provides a great model).

Fix our broken assessment system on the front end, to ensure that everyone pays their fair share — and not a penny more.

Ensure that the county focuses primarily on its three core responsibilities (see Question 4), and not waste precious time and resources on extras.

Pugliese: Virtually everyone I’ve come across has the same concerns; taxes and affordability.

In the 10 years the Democrats controlled the Nassau County Legislature, they raised taxes an astounding 43%, implemented a home energy tax on heating oil, natural gas, electricity and firewood, approved a multiyear plan to raise taxes an additional 16 percent through 2013, increased county spending by $1.5B, increased county debt by over $400,000,000, and left Nassau County with a $378M deficit.

Is it any wonder why many of our residents are struggling to pay their bills, why their children are not finding jobs and buying homes in Nassau County, why our seniors are fleeing homes that have become unaffordable, or why there are so many empty storefronts and struggling downtown areas in the 5th Legislative District? If we are going to turn this situation around, it is not going to happen by adding to the financial burden of our residents and businesses by way of taxes. It will happen by ensuring that more money is in the hands of the people of Nassau County.

It took the leadership of County Executive Ed Mangano and the Republican Majority in the Legislature to repeal the home energy tax, eliminate the planned 16% property tax increases proposed by County Democrats, cut spending by over $300M, reduce the County debt, and hold the line on property taxes for three straight years.   

If you are elected, what is the one thing you’d like to see accomplished during your term?

Curran: One of the core responsibilities of county government is the safety and security of its residents. Four years ago, we had eight police precincts. Today we have 5 — and we nearly lost the 1st Precinct in Baldwin. There are also concerns about fewer police supervisors, undercover officers, and unmarked cars. It is time to examine the crime statistics and trends to see if these reductions have compromised public safety. There is a line between efficient and unsafe, and I do not want to see Nassau County cross that line.

Pugliese: My goal as legislator is a simple one. I would like to enhance the quality of life for the people of the 5th Legislative District by ensuring that our residents and businesses receive outstanding county service without raising taxes. I would like to see our district get the voice it desperately need and I have the dedication and passion to effectively represent all the residents of our communities. We need to focus on updating our infrastructure, enhancing our police precincts, address the traffic concerns and revitalize our business districts. And this all needs to be done while keeping our taxes down because the residents cannot afford them as evident by our young professionals and seniors that are unable to buy or retain homes in Nassau County.

Would you like to add anything else?

Pugliese: My Democrat opponent, the current Baldwin School Board President, proposed a 2014 budget that contained a remarkable 7% tax increase, with additional 6% increases for each of the three succeeding years. Had she succeeded, our residents would have seen a 27% tax increase over the next few years which could equate to hundreds if not thousands of dollars. If she make these type of decisions on the county level, our residents simply will not be able to afford it.

I look forward to serving the residents of the 5th District, my door will always be open and no one will work harder to ensure the quality of life for our residents. I believe the people of the 5th district need a champion of the people. Your vote should be for the person who will best represent you and your needs. You deserve a person who will work for the community and not the party.

In addition, you should know that I am running on the Republican and Conservative Lines and have been endorsed by the Liberal Party. I have no connection to the Tea Party as recently mailed out by the Democratic Party. I am not a career politician, but an individual with the desire to make Nassau County a better place to live and work.