Election for mayor in Hempstead Village is a four-way race

Four candidates are vying for Village of Hempstead mayor, including the incumbent and two trustees seeking higher office.

Hempstead Mayor Don Ryan, a Republican who is also on the Hempstead Unity ticket, is running for re-election after he unseated Wayne Hall four years ago.

Ryan is being challenged by sitting trustees Waylyn Hobbs and Lamont Johnson. He is also being challenged by a fourth candidate, Herberth Flores, the former Nassau County deputy director of minority affairs.

Voters on March 16 will elect the next mayor, along with two trustees and a village justice. The mayoral candidates have vowed to lead the village’s economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, attempt to revive downtown redevelopment and seek to control crime in America’s largest village of 55,000 people.

Ryan, 78, was elected after 16 years as trustee on a platform opposing a $2.5 billion downtown redevelopment plan that included tax breaks for apartment buildings and mixed-use redevelopments along Main Street and in the dense downtown.

Ryan said he opposed tax breaks in payments in lieu of taxes, or PILOTS, for apartment buildings that did not create jobs. He said he has kept that promise while supporting other developments with PILOTS.

He is also exploring converting the village into a city to qualify for millions in state aid.

"I think experience for mayor matters. Integrity and humility are necessary ingredients and I’ve had those qualities to lead the village," Ryan said.

Ryan filed a lawsuit trying to block the Democratic ticket led by Hobbs, who is also listed with the Hempstead Now party. A Nassau Supreme Court judge on March 1 dismissed the lawsuit, which argued that Democrats did not file with enough notice their caucus for the ballot.

Hobbs, 58, has two years remaining in his trustee term. He was first elected in 2013 and has overseen the police and fire departments.

Hobbs said as trustee he brought in $1 million in grants to address zombie homes and forced banks to pay a registration fee for neglected properties. He said the village should hire more code enforcement officers to address quality of life issues.

"When we look at the four years Mayor Ryan has served, absolutely nothing has changed," Hobbs said.

Hempstead trustee Lamont Johnson, who has served on the board the past four years, is giving up his seat to run for mayor with the New Vision party. He has also served the past four years on the Hempstead school board, where he is president.

Johnson, 49, said he wants to bring family entertainment downtown and attract developers to vacant buildings. He said he is opposed to new apartments.

Johnson said he wants to use his experience as a retired NYPD and Hempstead police officer to address crime and enforce traffic laws.

"Hempstead has been stagnant since at least 2005. We have to start improving our commercial tax base so homeowners don’t bear the burden," Johnson said.

Flores, 47, who is running for mayor on the People’s party, said more than 50% of the village is Hispanic and that community has no representation on the board.

Flores said he wants to reduce crime by working with law enforcement. He said he wants to bring in good paying jobs, affordable housing and access to essential services such as walkable COVID-19 testing sites.

His hire by the county in 2010 raised questions because Flores pleaded guilty in 2005 to attempted bribery of a public servant in a scam to sell patient information from Nassau University Medical Center. He was sentenced to 60 days in jail.

He said he admits his prior mistakes and wants to give youth in the community opportunities to overcome their past.

"I have recognized I was young and made a mistake. I am not proud of what I did," Flores said. "We can’t criminalize youth for making a mistake the rest of their life."

By John Asbury

john.asbury@newsday.comJohnAsbury

John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.