Lifelong Farmingdale resident Dave Mejias officially announced his candidacy for the 14th Legislative District on May 21 at Farmingdale Village Hall. The 14th LD encompasses the communities (or parts of) Farmingdale, North and East Massapequa, Old Bethpage, Levittown and North Wantagh.

"I have lived my entire life in Farmingdale," Mejias said during his candidacy announcement. "[I] am a proud graduate of Farmingdale High School. Now, my best friend and wife, Heidi and I are making our life in this community. During the past few years I have learned a great deal about Nassau County government while serving as chairman of Community Development for Tom Suozzi's transition team. Currently, I am a volunteer board member of the Industrial Development Agency (IDA) and I am also a member of the County Executive's Economic Development team."

Mejias noted that because of his experience working with the Suozzi administration, he has seen how waste, fraud and patronage in county government can be eliminated and how the development of the county's economy can be continued.

"I look forward to working with our county executive and Democratic majority by continuing to move Nassau County in the right direction and overcoming decades of fiscal mismanagement by implementing good government initiatives and making Nassau County government leaner and more efficient," Mejias said. "While the county's fiscal health is imperative to all of our communities, there are local issues that are important as well."

Mejias noted that right in the community of Farmingdale, abandoned and polluted properties need to be cleaned up and redeveloped so that they may be put back to productive use. He further stated that high tech and high paying jobs need to be attracted to local communities so that the citizens of the community and young adults who come back from college can afford to live and work in the area. Mejias added that it's also important to work hard and be creative to find the most effective use of commercial property in order to ease the tax burden of local residents.

Mejias, who ran for legislator once before in 2001, graduated from the Farmingdale school system and went on to attend the SUNY Albany School of Business and Fordham University School of Law, after which he came back to Nassau County and started his law firm, with offices in Westbury and Hempstead.

"I grew up in this community and I know that the values of our districts include hard work, ingenuity, creativity and a strong sense of community," Mejias said. "I believe that the people of the 14th Legislative District need a representative and deserve a representative who reflects and shares those values. Because of my lifetime commitment to our community, I believe I can be that representative."

He and his wife Heidi live in North Massapequa and are members of local community and civic organizations such as the Farmingdale and North Massapequa Civic Associations, the Farmingdale Rotary Club, Friends of the Massapequa Preserve, Sons of Italy - Columbus Lodge and the Junior League of the Women's Club. In addition, Mejias is a member of the board of directors of Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Long Island and the Farmingdale High School Shared Decision Making Committee.