The race in the Town of North Hempstead’s 2nd District has incumbent Democratic Thomas Dwyer seeking to hold the council seat he’s occupied since 2002 against the challenge presented by retired New York City Police Officer Edward Scott.
Dwyer thinks the town’s record of implementing what he considers exemplary programs for its residents makes him and other Democratic council incumbents tough to beat, despite the national anti-incumbency trend.
He cites Project Independence, the town’s initiative to assist elderly residents to remain in their homes, the 311 information line and the recycling program as examples of the town board’s accomplishments under its Democratic majority.
“What‘s different in the Town of North Hempstead is that we’re doing so many good things and affecting so many different age groups, it would be hard to vote against us,” Dwyer said.
He said the town has imposed “minimal” tax increases over the past five years while providing additional services.
A Roslyn Heights resident, Dwyer stands solidly behind the town board’s plan to purchase the 10-acre Roslyn Country Club. The town intends to renovate the club’s pool and tennis courts and create a recreation facility for all town residents willing to pay an annual family membership of $1,000 or more to join.
“I feel so confident that it would be a great benefit for the community as a whole. We believe that this will pay for itself,” Dwyer said. He said the town’s plan to issue bonds for the renovation work required for the project made good financial sense.
“I believe we would have no issue doing that,” Dwyer said.
The issue of the Roslyn Country Club has been a flashpoint at public hearings, and it’s a major point of departure between Dwyer and Scott, who criticizes the town’s fiscal policies.
Scott opposes bonding any new projects for the town and suggested the Democrats are out of touch with the residents.
“I think they’ve lost reality here and common sense. This is not the time to ask people for money to pay for projects,” Scott said. “At this point, the present administration has not given any sort of numbers to us. The people have to speak. The people have to tell you what they want.”
The people represented in the 2nd District include residents in East Williston, Greenvale, Glenwood Landing, Manhasset Hills, Herricks, Albertson, East Hills, Searingtown, and Roslyn Heights.
Scott, a 20-year veteran of the New York Police Department who was one of the responders in the aftermath of the World Trade Center attacks on September 11, 2001, retired in 2008 and said he identifies with the common man.
“I’m a common guy. I like my barbecues. I like my beer. I like to hang out with my neighbors,” said Scott, who owns an extermination business.
What he said he doesn’t like is the prospect of higher taxes under a Democratic administration and what he claims is $4 million in patronage jobs under the administration of Town of North Hempstead Supervisor Jon Kaiman.
“I don’t like the fact that in a faltering economy, you’re going to keep taxing people,” said Scott. He said patronage jobs should be jettisoned and no additional debt added to the town’s $300 million burden.
Scott called Dwyer a “yes-man” for Kaiman. With seven years as a union representative for sergeants in the New York Police Department, Scott said he’ll be responsive to the people he represents.
“I’ll listen to the people. I’ll listen to the civic associations. As a union representative, that’s exactly what I did,” he said. “The people don’t work for you. You work for the people.”
Dwyer said the town has been responsive to the needs of its residents. He points to improvements made to North Hempstead Beach Park and plans now in the planning stage to create three little league baseball fields for the Roslyn Little League.
He also points to the town’s green initiatives, including the use of solar panels at community center in Westbury, and the solid waste management building Port Washington – a project paid for by a rebate from the Long Island Power Authority – as examples of ecological and economical forward-thinking.
“There’s the tangible benefit of saving money and there’s the tangible benefit of saving the environment. If I’m saving a dollar and saving the environment, then I’m doing a good things,” he said.
Formerly an analyst for the Urban Development Corporation, Dwyer is currently the chief operating officer at a title insurance agency that provides services in real estate.
Dwyer is a member of the board of commissioners for the North Hempstead Housing Authority.
He also serves on the boards of directors for Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Long Island.
