While seasoned in the political realm as a former Nassau County legislator, Town of North Hempstead Supervisor Judi Bosworth says she still feels new to the mantle she took up less than two years ago, running the fifth largest township in the United States. Bosworth squares off against Republican challenger Anthony Bulzomi of Carle Place on Nov. 3.
“The thing I see is that we have wonderful people in the town is that care about education, that care about business, that care about making sure that they can raise their families here,” she said in an interview with Anton Media Group.
Bosworth touted the revitalization of the town’s veteran advisory committee in 2014; a task she called “an amazing experience.” The committee is comprised of veterans throughout North Hempstead who are skilled in veterans affairs.
The committee’s first project collected clothing toiletries last Christmas, which were brought to the Northport VA hospital for veterans. Box drop-off sites are planned for Clinton G. Martin and Michael J. Tully parks, along with Town Hall.
“We wanted to make sure we were in touch with our veterans to see what they needed,” Bosworth said.
The town’s building department drew ire from residents and community leaders leading up to Bosworth’s appointment last January. She pointed to the selection of John Niewender as the department’s commissioner as the first in many steps to getting the office on track. The search lasted six months to find former commissioner Kevin Cronin’s successor last year.
Bosworth called Niewender “an incredible asset to the town.”
“We conducted an extensive search for building commissioner,” she said. “There was no one I felt that could do the job. But John has the respect of the people within the department and outside of it.”
Bosworth admitted the building office is still in transition, but contends “great changes have come.” She noted the appointment of an applicant advocate in Lauren Summa as one initiative that have set the building department on the right course. Summa handles red-tape issues with department applications and walks parties through the process in North Hempstead.
“Am I going to sit here and say ‘good news, the building department is fixed?’ Nope,” Bosworth said. “Will I say there have been really great changes? I will say that.”
Much like her opponent, Bosworth has been stumping for transparent government since she took office, spearheading the streaming of town board meetings on northhempstead.gov and uploading a digital version of the town budget prior to Election Day.
“I was committed to having the budget vote before Election Day,” Bosworth said. “We’ll do that as long as I’m there.”
Road repaving has been a recent undertaking by the town under its five-year capital plan, which recently completed projects in Albertson, Roslyn and Roslyn Heights. The $2 million road plan has additional projects scheduled for Port Washington, Great Neck, New Hyde Park, Garden City Park and Manhasset.
“It’s never complete because it’s an ongoing process,” Boswoth said. “This is something that is now in our capital plan every year.”
