Supervisor, Councilmembers sworn into office
They may come from different points of view, but it was clear that all of the assembled electeds at the 2024 Town of North Hempstead inauguration care deeply about their community.
After speeches from County Executive Bruce Blakeman and Nassau County Legislator Mazi Pilip, blessings from religious leaders, and the acknowledgement of local notables, Nassau County District Attorney Ann Donnelly gave an impassioned speech and administered the oath of office, beginning Jennifer DeSena’s second term as Supervisor of the Town of North Hempstead.
Supervisor DeSena stated her commitment to the town immediately after re-affirming her oath. “I stand before you today deeply honored and grateful to have been re-elected as your town supervisor for a second term. Since my first day in office, I’ve never once taken for granted the trust that has been placed in me by you, our residents. Over the past two years as town supervisor, I’ve worked tirelessly to deliver my vision for the future of our great town. As I embark on my second term as town supervisor, I promise that I will continue to uphold that standard and always fight for the best interests of our community.”
She went on to recap some of her accomplishments from the previous administration and pledged to build upon them. “Two years ago, I promised that town government would work with a greater sense of accountability to our taxpayers, and I believe this is something I have accomplished. I have collaborated with local stakeholders, listened to the concerns of our residents and taken action to create positive change. Under my administration, I’ve delivered record setting tax cuts two years in a row for our residents to try and ease the financial burden property owners in this town face after a decade of tax increases coupled with out-of-control inflation and a volatile economy. It has become clear that town government was not acknowledging the affordability crisis on Long Island and may have been contributing to it. I’m proud to put those days of tax and spend behind us.”
The Supervisor stressed transparency, collaboration and tolerance for the coming years. “I’ve brought sunlight to government operations and worked to install measures that brought honesty, integrity and transparency to our town. In two short years, I’ve proved that I can and will turn ideas into meaningful change for our great town. I promise to our residents that I will remain committed to serving each and every one of you with dedication, transparency, and a tireless passion for the betterment of our community. Our town is a vibrant mosaic of cultures, backgrounds and ideas. It is this very diversity that enriches our lives and helps make North Hempstead a truly special place for us to live. As we move the town forward, I will continue to embrace our differences, celebrate our shared humanity and work collaboratively to build a community where every resident feels valued and included.”
Next, Mary Jo Collins was sworn in as Receiver of Taxes by her longtime friend, Nassau County Comptroller Elaine Phillips.
Collins gave a brief speech thanking her family and the people who supported her during the run-up to the election. ”Thank you to the taxpayers of the Town of North Hempstead putting their trust in me. I intend to do my very best to live up to that trust that you have bestowed on me… one of the things that I look back upon for the past six months of meeting the people and traveling to all the different villages, street fairs, VFW halls, many opportunities I had to meet the people of the town of North Hempstead…I am so honored to be able to have the ability to serve you… I thank you and I look forward to work with you and for you as a new receiver of taxes.”
The last part of the ceremony was reserved for the swearing-in of the two newly elected councilmembers, Ed Scott and Christine Liu and re-elected councilmember Mariann Dalimonte. Ed Scott was sworn in by Nassau County Clerk Maureen O’connell.
Scott stated a desire to work together with his fellow councilmembers in their mission to move the town forward. “I can assure you that the group that stands before you shares this revitalized sense of mission. Working together, we aim to make North Hempstead the most efficient and most responsive town in New York, and I am honored to represent the people of District Two.”
He also committed to listen and understand in order to act appropriately. “My goal is to be a show me councilman. I want you to tell me about the problem and show me the problem. I want to come there, I want to see it and help me understand…We must have a firm grasp on all circumstances and understand exactly how it affects day to day lives…Even small solutions demand that we first see the big picture. Throughout my career in public service, I was fortunate to have the trust and support of the people I serve. Today, I ask for your continued support as we work together to make North Hempstead the town we deserve.”
Christine Liu was sworn in by her friend, United States Sixth District Congresswoman Grace Meng. Meng pointed out that Liu is the first Asian American councilmember in both Nassau and Suffolk counties, a significant milestone for both the town and the Island at large.
Liu first compared her path to public service to Meng’s, then reiterated her dedication to the community. “Thank you to my friends and family. Thank you to those who have been with me from the beginning when I moved here and those who I’ve met along the way during this campaign journey.”
“Everybody has been so gracious and supportive and I want to thank the former town councilwoman Veronica Lurvey. I have big shoes to fill, but for mentoring me along the process, thank you. Thank you to our current supervisor, and also our town board members,” said Councilmember Liu. “We will work together, for the betterment of our town and I really do love the theme here because we care. The fact that we are up here doing what we do is definitely not for the pay, but it’s because we care for our community and the fact that we answer calls, we listen to our constituents that we want to make our town better, because we care. And I’m very happy and looking forward to working together with everyone to serve our veterans, the seniors in our community, our school districts, our fire department, our police department, our great commissioner here, all the support that you need from this town. We will make sure to do the best of our ability to serve the wonderful Town of North Hempstead. Thank you so much.”
Town Supervisor Judi Bosworth (Screenshots from the Town of North Hempstead livestream)
Lastly, Councilmember Mariann Dalimonte was sworn in by former Town Supervisor Judi Bosworth. In typical Dalimonte fashion, she requested that representatives from the Port Washington Police and Fire departments stand with her on the dais.
Dalimonte highlighted some of her proudest accomplishments in her tenure as a councilmember, including public safety improvements and infrastructure and environmental protection projects such as the oyster restoration. She also pledged to continue fostering transparency and inclusion. “When I first ran for town board, I was guided by a simple idea. Everyone’s voice matters. I ran on a platform of transparency to ensure that everyone, not just a select few, would have a seat at the table. It was an idea that resonated across the district. During my first term in office, I implemented a District Six newsletter bringing information about the town directly to the residents. I’m proud to say we have thousands of people on it across the Town of North Hempstead. I look forward in my second term to growing that newsletter. I’ve hosted many mobile office hours and will continue hosting them during my second term. So I originally set out on a platform of transparency…We have so much more to accomplish. It truly takes a team, and team stands for ‘Together Everyone Achieves More,’ to make things happen. I would like to thank everyone who is part of that team, former Supervisor Bosworth, Supervisor DeSena, my former colleagues on the town board, and the hard-working employees at the Town of North Hempstead. Because of you, we accomplish these goals.”
