Judi Bosworth, who is seeking re-election as North Hempstead town supervisor, said she is campaigning on her fiscal record, while her opponent, David Redmond, criticized her management style, pointing to problems with the renovation of Clinton G. Martin Park.
Bosworth, a Democrat from Great Neck, won her first election for supervisor in 2013 over current town Councilwoman Dina De Giorgio. Redmond, a Republican born and raised in Mineola, ran for the town clerk position in 2017, losing to Wayne Wink.
“I’ll stand on my record keeping this town fiscally sound,” Bosworth said in a sitdown interview with Blank Slate Media. “We have retained a Aaa bond rating for several years, we are very careful with the ways we spend our money, and we have continuously improved our public works projects.”
Redmond focused on how a different management style could prove beneficial for the town if he was elected as town supervisor.
“I bring something totally different to the table than other candidates do,” he said during a sitdown interview. “I understand how to use new technologies to make aspects of the government more efficient such as the Building Department.”
In discussing the department, Bosworth said that while any aspect of the government can always find room for improvement, it still serves the public appropriately.
“The minute that you think whatever you’re doing is fine or can’t do any better, then you should leave,” she said. “While I can’t promise a target timeline for permit approvals, we are working on digitizing and streamlining the application process for residents, which will ideally be completed by March or April.”
Redmond, an experienced technical consultant with a background in electrical engineering, said he believes that the digital aspect is only part of the Building Department’s issues.
“I think that Judi’s weakest point is her management style,” he said. “She is a hard-working and passionate leader, but the way she runs her town is reflective of the Building Department and how frustrated the residents are about it.”
Redmond said some “red flags” in the department are the wait times for hiring employees and low employee morale.
He also mentioned the former superintendent of highways who resigned after four months on the job following a two-year search to fill the post.
The handling of the renovation project at Clinton G. Martin Park in New Hyde Park has been one of Redmond’s points of criticism throughout the campaign, and he said he would have handled it much differently.
“If they had hired the right people and done their due diligence, this project would not be an issue,” he explained. “I would have gotten constant updates from people who were working on this project. It’s a manageable project that should not have gotten to this point.”
The pool renovation at the park is the subject of a hotly contested lawsuit between the town and Wantagh-based Gramercy Group, which did the work. The town is withholding $1.3 million for what it considers unfinished business, and the contractor is claiming an additional $1.5 million in unpaid debts.
De Giorgio said this month that no change orders for the project were brought before the Town Board, adding, “I’m not sure we ever voted on any of those cost overruns.”
Bosworth said she is not certain what De Giorgio was talking about.
“I understand that the overruns we were aware of went to the board,” she said. “She was never at any kind of meeting, and only saw the park during a ribbon-cutting, so I’m not sure what she’s talking about. According to what I know, this is not costing more than what we planned for.”
On the subject of revitalization, Bosworth and Redmond agreed that steps should be taken to have business districts within the town flourish. Additionally, both cited the high costs of apartments as deterring factors for trying to attract millennials and young families to the town.
“We always have to remember we have great chambers of commerce, but the shop owners need to do their part as well,” Bosworth said. “There has to be some attraction for the older and younger crowds to come to in the downtown districts. I also think the town should continue to work with developers and businesses to explore all options to attract and retain residents of all ages.”
“I think we need to address the Building Department issues first, and in doing so, we will be able to attract developers to the area and come build here,” Redmond said. “The town can absolutely play an advisory role. Mixed-use housing can vary on a case-by-case basis, but that’s also something we can look at to attract a younger generation here.”
