ENDORSEMENTS

OYSTER BAY Supervisor Joe Saladino and his teammates on the Oyster Bay Town Board - Michele Johnson, Lou Imbroto, and Thomas Hand - have done great things - once thought to be impossible. When Saladino took over just four years ago, the Town suffered from low bond ratings, huge environmental challenges, and whole departments that were deeply dysfunctional. But Saladino and his new Town Board refused to accept that. He launched a whirlwind of reforms that literally changed how business is done: In place of the Byzantine, months-long delays of a previously corrupt building department, Saladino cleaned-house and implemented "one day" permit approvals for residents. In place of wastewater seepage that threatened our harbors and groundwater, Saladino build Oyster hatcheries and a shellfish seeding program that filters our harbors fresh. Instead of a low bond rating, Saladino tightened ship - and dramatically raised Oyster Bay’s bond rating. Instead of raising taxes, Saladino used the savings from his reforms to cut taxes. The Democrats are running a group of "sacrificial lambs" - people no one has ever heard of, with no real experience, who have gotten no real campaign funding from the Democratic Party bosses, who directed funding to other areas and races. The Leader endorses Joe Saladino for Supervisor; Michele Johnson, Thomas Hand, and Lou Imbroto for Town Council; and Rich LaMarca for Town Clerk. They all deserve re-election. GLEN COVE Former Councilwoman Pam Panzenbeck is running a spirited campaign for Glen Cove Mayor. She pledges to bring back the kind of smart, competent leadership shown by Reggie Spinella, when he was Mayor. The Leader endorses Pam Panzenbeck for Mayor, and "Team Panzenbeck." for City Council. NASSAU LEGISLATURE - NORTH SHORE OYSTER BAY Many politicians are unprincipled and opportunistic, but Joshua Lafazan has taken it to a whole new extreme. Lafazan sold himself as a "kid politician" when he was first elected, but transformed into a chameleon who betrays everyone, and embraces extremism - first on the Left, and then on the Right. Lafazan allied himself with BLM and the Communist Party in 2020, denouncing police and white residents as "systemic white racists." Then in 2021, eager for police union campaign dollars, Lafazan flipped 180 degrees, and sponsored a Nazi-era law to allow police to sue or arrest anyone who "annoys" or "discriminates" against them. Add to that Lafazan's "Power Broker" scheme to bulldoze 20 acres of the pristine Stillwell Woods Preserve and pave it over for a vanity ball park - just to get developers' dollars. Over 400 protesters - both Republican and Democrat - mobbed the Legislature this summer to denounce Lafazan's dirty tricks. Paolo Pironi is an Oyster Bay home builder and volunteer fireman. He grew up in Oyster Bay, and just got married to his high school sweetheart. Pironi is a well-meaning decent man, and promises "normal" representation, and to protect our community. The Leader strongly endorses Paolo Pironi for Nassau Legislature.