Long Island has always had a suburban aesthetic. For a century now, families have chosen to call Long Island (and in particular the Town of North Hempstead) home because of the appeal that comes from our lush, quiet and peaceful tree-lined streets. From New Cassel to Kings Point, families from all backgrounds come here to escape the cramped conditions of New York City. For generations, towns and villages across our state have had the power to determine what is consistent with the character of our own communities through local control zoning.

However, under a new proposal included in Gov. Hochul’s budget, the ability to control local zoning would be effectively eliminated and replaced with state-mandated, high-density development, with a special emphasis on the immediate vicinity surrounding LIRR stations. This proposal, which purports to address the lack of affordable housing, in reality does not mention affordability at all, but rather serves as a green light for high-rises in our backyards. Taking local control away from our communities and placing it in the hands of far-off Albany bureaucrats would spell disaster for our town.

I acknowledge that the cost of living is a problem that our communities face. However, the solution to this concern is to find ways to bring down the high cost of living by governing effectively, just as I have in the Town of North Hempstead where I recently proposed an 11% tax cut in this year’s budget.

Restricting the will of our residents and imposing the will of faceless Albany bureaucrats with no accountability to our communities is just wrong. Gov. Hochul should be focusing on working with local governments to reduce the cost of living, and not attempting to impose her will in a poorly designed, one-size-fits all approach.