Rosanna Clavin congratulated her son, Donald, after beginning a new term as receiver of taxes.
Hempstead town officials touted past successes and looked to the future during the inauguration ceremony on Tuesday at Town Hall. After being re-elected in November, Supervisor Kate Murray, council members Edward Ambrosino, Angie Cullin and Jim Darcy, Town Clerk Mark Bonilla and Receiver of Taxes Donald Clavin began new terms.
Murray talked proudly about the town’s strong financial standing, despite tough economic times and the struggles at other levels of government. She cited the high Wall Street bond ratings, tax-freeze 2012 budget and avoiding the use of one-shot revenue sources. “Our budgetary policies have blazed a trail of best financial practices for other governments to follow,” she said.
Town officials are committed to growth, Murray said, saying they have reached out to developers to improve several areas in the town. The supervisor said that communities including Elmont, Baldwin and Uniondale are on the town board’s radar for redevelopment.
Appointed in 2003, and re-elected five times, Murray said the proudest accomplishment of her tenure is actually the beginning of construction on a new, permanent home for Camp ANCHOR’s recreation programs in Lido. The program, which serves children and teens with special needs, is the “heart and soul” of the town, Murray said. Ground was broken on the $6 million facility last year.
Ambrosino, representing the 2nd Council District, said the town has much work to do beyond paving the roads and trimming the trees. There are a lot of challenges ahead, he said, including redevelopment of the Coliseum property, Belmont racetrack and several downtown communities. Affordable housing must also be a priority, he added.
“We have done much,” Ambrosino said, citing the demolition of the crime-ridden Courtesy Hotel in West Hempstead and the creation of a vision plan for Elmont. “We have much more to do.” The councilman from North Valley Stream was first elected in 2003.
In the neighboring 3rd District, Darcy, of Valley Stream, began another term after he was first elected in 2000. He said that town officials can’t rest on their laurels, and must continue to do the people’s business. “I pledge myself to continue to work as hard as I can,” he said, “and earn the trust that the people have given me.”
Cullin, of Freeport, was the first woman elected to town government in 1987. In her brief remarks on Tuesday, she said it was a great honor to be re-elected and thanked her constituents in the 5th Council District for returning her to a job she loves.
Bonilla and Clavin’s speeches both had a common theme — they thanked their respective staffs. With more than 100 employees, Bonilla said he was blessed to have a hard working group of employees.
Clavin said there is no better part of his job than when he is out in public and someone tells him how they were helped by one of the Tax Department’s employees. He said his staff knows how to treat people right. “I was elected,” he said, “but they deserve the accolades as well.”
While receiver of taxes isn’t an elected office many people aspire to, Clavin, of Garden City, is happy. He described it as a wonderful job, and said it is all about providing great services to the residents. In his coming term, Clavin said he is looking to expand on his office’s use of technology, to allow town residents to receive their tax bill and pay their taxes online.
Murray said that all elected officials in the town will continue to work together to do what’s right for the residents. “We care,” she said, “and we want to ensure that America’s largest township is also the greatest town to live, work and raise a family.”
January 4, 2012
By: Andrew Hackmack
Source: LI Herald
Loading...
