SEAFORD, NY — Voters in the Town of Hempstead will head to the polls Nov. 5 to cast their ballots for town council.
In council District 5 — which includes Lido Beach and Point Lookout, and parts of Baldwin, Bellmore, Freeport, Merrick, Seaford and Wantagh — voters will select from two candidates: Republican Chris Carini and Democrat Lora Webster, both of whom are competing to fill Republican Erin King Sweeney's seat.
Patch reached out to both candidates to hear where they stand on important issues affecting the community.
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Here are the responses for those who participated. The answers have been lightly edited for clarity.

Chris Carini

  • Age (as of Sept. 1, 2019): 44
  • Town of Residence: Seaford
  • Position Sought: Councilman/Town of Hempstead 5th Councilmanic District
  • Party Affiliation: Republican
  • Family: Danielle Carini, 43, wife; Ava Carini, 12, daughter, Joseph Carini, 7, son.
  • Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? No.
  • Education: Bachelor's degree from CW Post in criminal justice/certificate in labor leadership from Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations.
  • Occupation: Retiring 22 years as a police officer.
  • Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office: None.
  • Campaign Website: CariniForHempstead.com
The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.
Taxes and infrastructure.
The biggest concern of residents is high taxes. I support the town board's decision to cut taxes by 4.2 percent. I was disappointed in Laura Gillen's decision to vote "no" on the 2019 tax cut budget. Every other member of the board, even her Democratic colleague, Councilwoman Dorothy Goosby, supported the tax reduction. What's more, I was staunchly opposed to Supervisor Gillen's proposal to hike taxes for 2019 by millions. The supervisor wants another vote on the board to support her tax hikes … I won't. I will work with Don Clavin to reduce spending and taxes. In fact, I will support his plan to slash the supervisor's $2 million patronage payroll in half on "day one" of his administration.
As the vice president of the Wantagh-Seaford Homeowners' Association, the biggest compliant I hear focuses around the conditions of our roads. The association produces a monthly pothole list that we submit to the town. Furthermore, I join with Don Clavin, our town's next supervisor, in his call to double the township's investment in road repaving.
What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?
I believe my experience and background set me apart in the race for town council. I am an experienced civic association leader, a community advocate who has gotten results to improve our communities and make them safer. My work as a police officer gives me a unique perspective on how to best ensure the safety and well-being of the neighborhoods that comprise my councilmanic district
If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)?
No response.
Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform:
The top priority in my platform is controlling spending and taxes. I am a fiscal conservative who will bring a sound and sensible approach to the job. Just as families must live within a budget, local governments have a responsibility to do the same. Advocating for the enhancement of our parks, accelerating the repaving of local roads and the protection of our drinking water are among my other priorities. Environmental stewardship and the "hardening" of our coastline to protect against storm damage are also issues that require urgent action.
What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?
I serve as the vice president of Seaford for the Wantagh-Seaford Homeowners' Association, a civic association, as well as the director of the Wantagh-Seaford Homeowners' Neighborhood Watch Committee. In addition, I sit as a member of Nassau County Police Commissioner's Community Council for the 19th Legislative District and was appointed to the vice chair position of this committee.
I delivered results as a civic advocate and as the vice president of the homeowners' association. I successfully addressed the issue of aggressive individuals who loitered at a local train station, intimidating commuters. My goal was to address the needs of these people while ensuring the safety of commuters and the quality-of-life at the train station. Working with various agencies, I coordinated a plan to ameliorate the issue. I also have worked with various MTA divisions to address the crumbling infrastructure at local train stations. Broken elevators, shattered windows and graffiti are among the deficiencies that I successfully had remediated. As previously mentioned, I spearheaded the homeowners' association's monthly pothole list from residents. The pothole list has been expanded to additional issues such as needed park repairs, litter and debris accumulation and other issues that adversely impact our neighborhoods.
I served 22 years as a police officer, 14 as a union rep, 10 years on the PBA board of directors as a trustee. I retired from the police department to focus my full attention on community service in the 5th councilmanic district.
The best advice ever shared with me was ...
My father always advised me, "go with your gut instinct, it's usually right."
What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?
I want to thank my wife, Danielle, as well as my children Ava and Joey, for supporting me in seeking this position. I am a firm believer in the importance of family. I believe my community is an extension of the family, and that is why I am eager to become a councilman on the Hempstead town board. Making our neighborhoods better places in which to live, work and raise a family is at the core of my public service mission.