Hempstead Town Supervisor Candidates: Meet Donald Clavin

Voters in the Town of Hempstead will head to the polls Nov. 5 to cast their ballots for the Town Supervisor.

This year, Democratic incumbent Laura Gillen is being challenged by Republican Donald X. Clavin, who is currently the town's Receiver of Taxes.

Patch reached out to both candidates to hear where they stand on important issues affecting the community.

Here are the responses for those who participated. The answers have been lightly edited for clarity.

Donald Clavin

• Age (as of Sept. 1): 50
• Town of Residence: Garden City
• Position Sought: Hempstead Town Supervisor
• Party Affiliation: Republican
• Family: Wife, Nancy, and three children.
• Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? No relatives work for the Town of Hempstead. I have a sister and niece who volunteer at the Town’s Camp ANCHOR.
• Education: Doctorate of Jurisprudence from Hofstra University School of Law and Bachelor of Arts Degree in History from Canisius College
• Occupation: Hempstead Town Receiver of Taxes since 2001
• Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office: Hempstead Town Receiver of Taxes
• Campaign Website: DonClavin.com

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Taxes. I meet with hundreds of taxpayers, both at my office and at my community forums. The number one issue that they are concerned about is taxes. Unfortunately, current Supervisor Laura Gillen has distinguished herself for three things: a proposal to raise taxes by millions, her vote against tax cuts and trying to take credit for the tax cut that she voted against.

I’m excited to tell Hempstead Town residents that tax relief if coming to the Supervisor’s office. My first act in office will be on Day One, when I slash the supervisor’s office’s payroll in half, by $1 million. I’ll “trim the fat” of municipal government – one of my first actions will be to eliminate all take-home vehicles for “exempt” (aka appointed officials) and to perform a full performance review of all town departments in order to provide the best services to residents at the lowest cost.

I’ve never proposed a tax increase and I don’t plan to start now. In her first major fiscal act in office, my opponent, Supervisor Laura Gillen, proposed a tax-hike budget on Sept. 28, 2018. The supervisor went a step further, about a month later, and voted “NO” to Hempstead Town Council Members’ bipartisan 2019 tax-cut budget. Every other member of the Town Board, even her Democrat colleague, Councilwoman Dorothy Goosby, supported the tax cut budget. Now Laura Gillen is trying to take credit for the 2019 tax-cut budget that she voted against. Honesty is the best policy, and I’ll always put taxpayers first.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)?

In her first major fiscal action as supervisor, Laura Gillen presented a tax-hike budget, which was filed with the town clerk on Sept. 28, 2018, called for $275.2 million in property taxes, up from the $273.2 million figure for 2018. On the same day that Supervisor Gillen proposed her tax-hike budget, Sept. 28, 2018, I decided that I would run for supervisor and put taxpayers first. Additionally, the supervisor has not adequately maintained the town’s roadway network. I will double the investment in road repaving as supervisor. Finally, Laura Gillen has shown an inability to work collaboratively with others. In fact, she has sued all of her colleagues on the Town Board and is embroiled in a protracted battle with the town’s labor union. Hempstead Town needs a leader who will provide tax relief, repair our roadways, work well with others and demonstrate the highest level of respect for town employees.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform:

• Slash Supervisor’s Patronage Staff: I’m committed to slashing Supervisor Laura Gillen’s $2 million patronage staff payroll in half on “day one” of my administration.
• Eliminate Take-Home Cars for “Exempt”Government Employees: I’m calling for the elimination of all take-home vehicles for “exempt” employees (aka appointed officials).
• Resignation of all “Exempt” Department Heads for Re-evaluation: I will call for the resignation of all exempt department heads who are appointed and serve at the pleasure of the Town Board. I intend to conduct a full management review of department heads and will consider all staffing options based upon the needs of the township and the qualifications of candidates for various positions.
• IDA Transformative Development Zone Program: In an effort to spur transformative growth and revitalize business districts that are challenged, I am calling upon the local IDA to pursue the establishment of Transformative Development Zones. These zones would include defined developer benefits within specified areas in order to encourage the development of neighborhoods instead of individual buildings. As a base line, no PILOT (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) would be lower than the current property taxes, thereby protecting the local tax base. Other taxpayer protections would be built into the plan. The plan could also include incentives for next generation housing and other types of desired construction. This program would not eliminate or reduce other available programs or services offered by the IDA.
• Major Roadway / Infrastructure Investment Initiative: I have indicated that the Town of Hempstead roadway network requires a major capital investment to maintain the safety of our streets and the desirability of local communities. The Republican Town Board increased its road repaving capital budget by 16 percent this year; however, I intend to build upon the current roadway upgrade schedule.
• Overhaul Building and Zoning Code: Expanding upon an initiative launched by former Councilwoman Erin King Sweeney, I’m focused on re-engineering the town’s building and zoning code to stem the exodus of young professionals from our region, which has been exacerbated by a lack of affordable housing and aging downtowns. Simultaneously, I will work with the development community to promote sustainable growth in Hempstead’s downtowns, encouraging mixed-use development and transit-oriented housing, among other smart growth priorities.

Under my leadership as Receiver of Taxes, our office has become a model for municipal tax offices across New York State. By implementing innovative and efficient strategies, my office provides convenient, informative and friendly services to taxpayers. For example, we are the first tax office in New York to provide paperless e-Bills. What’s more, I recently introduced an AutoPay tax payment feature, making us the first on Long Island to provide this service. During busy collection periods, we provide taxpayers with an array of convenient payment options, including an EZ-Pay Drive-Thru, mobile and satellite payment offices, online payments and extended office hours.

The best advice ever shared with me was ...

My dad was a fan of President Theodore Roosevelt. My father often repeated one of the president’s famous quotes that has served as inspirational advice for me throughout my college years and my career: “Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.”

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

The agenda that I am advancing is one that puts taxpayers first. It stands in stark contrast to Supervisor Laura Gillen’s record, which includes proposing to hike town taxes by millions, voting against a tax cut and trying to take credit for the tax cut which she voted against. Taxpayers deserve more from their government officials and they deserve real tax relief. I will put taxpayers first.