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Friday, April 12, 2024
Vol. 73, No. 15
GRAND OPENING
R E A L J A PA N E S E F L A V O R
JUDGE DENIES REQUEST BLAKEMAN SHERIFF PLAN DRAWS OPPOSITION FOR TRO ON JAMES PAGE 6
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Supervisors rally against housing bill GOP, school officials join to oppose faith-based affordable dwellings Nassau County’s three town supervisors rallied against the state government’s proposed bill that would override local zoning laws for religious institutions constructing affordable housing, calling it an attack on their suburban lifestyles. “We’re here to say to Albany: Stop overriding our local government. Stop overriding our local zoning,” North Hempstead Supervisor Jennifer DeSena said. New York State lawmakers have proposed a bill – referred to as the FaithBased Affordable Housing Act – that would permit religious institutions like churches, synagogues and mosques to override local zoning laws if they build affordable housing on their properties. The bill has been backed by a coalition of Black ministers, including those in Hempstead, who are advocating to remove the roadblocks against local zoning laws to allow for housing initiatives. The rally at Herricks Park in front of the community center was held with a slew of local officials in support – including mayors, school board presidents, town supervisors, county legislators and state senators. Leading the rally were the county’s three town supervisors – DeSena of North Hempstead, Donald Clavin of
Hempstead and Joseph Saladino of Oyster Bay – advocating for the preservation of the suburbs they represent. Concerns expressed by the speakers were about the impact of the faithbased housing initiative, citing population increases potentially affecting Long Island’s schools, environment, resources and property taxes. School enrollment at North Shore school districts has been mixed in its rises and falls, with a little over half reporting drops in their student population from 2012 to 2023. However, the total enrollment of the 13 North Shore school districts has dropped overall with a 0.05% decline, amounting to nearly 25 fewer students over the decade. DeSena called the bill another “onesize-fits-all” housing proposal from the state government, comparing it to the governor’s housing proposal last year. “This time it’s hidden behind religion,” DeSena said. Last year Gov. Kathy Hochul proposed a housing plan in the state budget that called for a 3% increase in housing units over three years, with the possibility of the state stepping in if the 3% goal was not met, and the use of transit-oriented developments to achieve that objective. It ultimately failed and was not adopted in the budget. Continued on Page 44
PHOTO BY TAYLOR HERZLICH
Legislator Delia DeRiggi-Whitton (D-Glen Cove) speaks at a rally in Mineola Monday morning. See story on page 12.
Herricks board okays 5.2% budget increase B Y T A Y L O R H E R Z L I C H Thursday night.
The budget, which is subject to Herricks School District board voter approval, represents a 5.2% members adopted a proposed bud- increase over the $134,719,970 get of $141,710,364 for the 2024- budget for 2023-2024 — an increase 2025 school year during a meeting of $6,990,394.
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Board members said the largerthan-usual increase was due in part to the cost of settling child sex abuse claims against the district filed under the Child Victims Act. The act Continued on Page 45
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