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Hempstead Supervisor Anthony Santino and Councilwoman Erin King Sweeney have resolved their recent rift — with a little help from Nassau Republican chairman Joseph Mondello and King Sweeney’s father, Rep. Peter King (R-Seaford).
King Sweeney, who broke with Republican tradition by opposing routine personnel resolutions in the GOP-controlled town, voted yes after meeting privately with Santino on Tuesday morning. Mondello and her father met later in the day at GOP headquarters in Westbury.
Mondello, a former Hempstead presiding supervisor, said he asked Peter King to come in. “I do want peace to exist in the Town of Hempstead. I don’t need my party to be at war. I think one of the duties of the chairman is to do his best to keep the peace,” Mondello said.
King said, “By the time I got there, the whole thing was over.” He said he does not interfere “on any issue that Erin is involved in.”
Both agreed that Santino and King Sweeney would benefit from meeting with Mondello.
Santino and King Sweeney each termed their face-to-face as “very productive.”
“We are both looking forward to our continuing efforts to cut costs and make town government more efficient,” Santino said.
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King Sweeney said, “Going forward I fully support Supervisor Santino and all that he’s doing for the Town of Hempstead and all of his incredible efforts for the Baldwin revitalization. I look forward to a productive 2017.”
Sources had said that King Sweeney was angry that her executive assistant had not received a pay increase this year while raises had gone to Santino’s inner circle. Asked whether her aide would get a raise, she repeated, “I look forward to a productive 2017.”