Newsday endorses Judi Bosworth for North Hempstead supervisor

Supervisor Judi Bosworth's deft management of the Town of North Hempstead has led to a more collaborative approach on the town board, and spurred improvements in the beleaguered Building Department, which had been systematically understaffed and unfriendly to town residents.

The incumbent Democrat made customer service a priority and has hired three additional inspectors. That's a good start. The town also has stayed within the state's 2 percent tax cap, cutting $600,000 in town expenses and reducing debt during her 22-month tenure.

We urge Bosworth, 67, of Great Neck, to continue to press the pedal on the Building Department, to hammer together a truly comprehensive plan to curb illegal housing and to expedite department business. Further, she should use her mediation skills to resolve the thorny issues surrounding the Spinney Hill senior housing development. And she needs to focus town attention on the Yes We Can Community Center -- a $26 million facility that is supposed to be key to New Cassel's revitalization but has not lived up to its promise.

Her opponent, Republican Anthony Bulzomi, is a construction manager who has good ideas for streamlining services at the Building Department. He is a Westbury resident and a trustee of the Carle Place school board. Bulzomi, 43, is civic-minded and well-intentioned, but lacks the extensive experience of Bosworth, who served 12 years as a county legislator and is a former president of the Great Neck school board. Her managerial know-how and grasp of the shared relationship between town and county are superior.

Newsday endorses Bosworth.