Election Day 2023: Siela Bynoe Seeks Another Term In Legislature

WESTBURY, NY — Before voters get ready to go to the polls, Patch is helping residents learn about the candidates on this year's ballot.

Name Siela A. Bynoe

How old will you be as of Election Day? 56

Does your campaign have a website? If so, include the URL here. What city or town do you live in? Westbury, N.Y.

What office are you seeking? Nassau County Legislature

If you are running in a district, you can specify the district here. Second District

Party affiliation. Democratic

Education. Siela A. Bynoe is a first-generation American, a breast cancer survivor, a housing and education advocate, and a homeowner in Westbury. After graduating from Westbury High School, Siela earned an Associate's Degree in Liberal Arts from Nassau County Community College and a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Hofstra University. Guided by the life lessons of her formative years, Siela thereafter embarked upon an extensive career in the public, not-for-profit, and private sectors. In various roles, she delivered crucial support for first-time homebuyers, secured over $40 million in resources to rehabilitate some of Long Island’s oldest affordable housing communities, and more. After being diagnosed with breast cancer and completing treatment, she earned her Masters degree in public administration at LIU Post in 2006 and was later appointed in 2008 to the North Hempstead Town Council to serve as commissioner of the North Hempstead Housing Authority. Two years later, in 2010, she was elected to her first of two terms on the Westbury School Board, where she worked diligently to implement smart policies to manage costs, enhance educational offerings, and significantly increase graduation rates. Siela was elected to the Nassau County Legislature in 2014, where she has earned a reputation during her tenure as a diligent and inventive lawmaker who has a knack for building bipartisan consensus for initiatives to protect the environment and safeguard our drinking water from hazardous contaminants; remove and renovate zombie homes; address mental and behavioral health challenges; implement public safety reforms like body cameras for all county police officers, and more.

What is your occupation? Consultant

Do you have a family? If so, please tell us about them. Single

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? No

Have you ever held a public office, whether appointive or elective? Nassau County Legislature, 2014-present Westbury School Board Trustee, 2010-2014

Now we'd like to ask a few questions about your reasons for running and your general views on politics and government. First, why are you seeking this office? I have deep roots in my community and am deeply committed to public service. I want to continue being the voice of Nassau County residents who are working tirelessly just to make ends meet as they struggle to invest in the furtherance of their family’s dreams. It is my belief that that the knowledge and expertise I have gained through my various lived experiences gives me the insights necessary to deliver solutions that will provide hope for a more prosperous future.

Please complete this statement: The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is \_\_\_, and this is what I intend to do about it. The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is the cost of living. To address this concern, my Minority Caucus colleagues and I are advocating for the delivery of a $128 million tax cut in the Fiscal Year 2024 budget.

What needs to be done to address water quality issues on LI? We must continue to adequately resource initiatives that seek to address the presence of emerging contaminants such as 1,4 dioxane and PFAS in our drinking water supplies to safeguard their current and future purity. In the Legislature, I have advocated for resources that will help local water utilities comply with the state’s more rigorous PFAS and 1, 4 dioxane standards and authored a policy, later adopted by the Nassau County Industrial Development Agency, that created an incentive program which encourages businesses to invest in environmental protection and water conservation upgrades. In late 2019, the Legislature approved the Ground Water and Public Water Supply Facts Report law I authored, which directs the County Health Department to publish an annual report on the state of the public drinking water supply, based on test data collected by the water suppliers. The second created Nassau County’s “Smart Sprinkler” reimbursement program for Nassau homeowners who install smart-sprinkler systems at their homes.

What do you think can be done to help improve our infrastructure, highways, etc? Nassau County’s infrastructure is aging, and this has already resulted in multiple disruptive sinkholes within our jurisdiction. To facilitate any future development, we must invest the necessary resources to reinforce our infrastructure; in the 2023 capital plan, I have secured nearly $70 million in commitments for major traffic safety and beautification road projects in Lakeview, Westbury, and Hempstead, and have established community advisory boards to shepherd the implementation of those vital resources in our communities.

How would you plan to help local business owners, who are struggling because of high rents, inflation and labor shortages? In the immediate term, I would further amplify the County's ongoing application of federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding toward grant initiatives and low-interest loan programs that will help entrepreneurs restore themselves to solid footing. Looking ahead to the future, I will continue to advocate for and secure capital infrastructure resources for smart-growth, walkable downtown revitalization in our communities as I have done in the case of Westbury Village - a community which is continuing to blossom amidst this period of reinvestment and renewal.

What is your stance on the current migrant situation affecting New York? And migrants were to be directed to shelters on Long Island, how would you prepare/plan for that? As a first-generation American, I connect with and share the lived experiences of my own family in seeking a better life in a new country. While the establishment of immigration laws is a task of the federal government, the impact of trends in migration often fall to local municipalities to grapple with. Having to meet the demands without the critical support networks needed, sets us all up for a systemic failure that neither meets the ongoing needs of our communities or those of new immigrant families. The lack of a comprehensive approach across this country has led to a lack of uniformity when it comes to developing and executing a follow up plan by our federal agencies for those seeking asylum. This lack of uniform protocols does an immense disservice to already stretched thin municipalities, and to new immigrant arrivals and their families who are left in dire circumstances while their cases are heard, and their fate decided by the courts. Housing them in warehouse-like facilities is not humane, especially when we are dealing with children already struggling with pre and post-migration trauma.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post? I believe that I have distinguished myself in elected office through the intense level of personal passion and commitment that I bring to fulfilling the responsibility my constituents have entrusted with me.

If you are challenging an incumbent, in what way has the current officeholder failed the community? What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign? Public health, infrastructure, and affordability are three key concerns. As the 2024 County budget process continues to unfold, I am working alongside my Minority Caucus colleagues to advocate for a significant tax cut in the forthcoming budget. I am committed to securing the future solvency of Nassau University Medical Center, which is an essential safety net in the matrix of our regional healthcare resources. As the former legislative co-chair of Nassau County’s Opioid Crisis Action Plan Task Force, I continue to advocate for increased access to mental health first aid resources in our community and continue to be a staunch proponent of trauma-informed approaches to addiction prevention, treatment, and recovery strategies.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job? I have authored and passed numerous legislative initiatives related to the pursuit of best practices in law enforcement, enhancing government transparency, protecting our drinking water and promoting the discipline of Mental Health First Aid in our community. Most recently, in the 2023 capital plan, I have secured nearly $68.9 million in commitments for major infrastructure investments to bolster traffic safety, beautification, and economic development initiatives in some of Nassau County’s historically under-resourced communities.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you? Jeremiah 29:11 - “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions? (no response given.)