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Pat Maher is seeking election to the Town of Hempstead Town Council in the 6th district, which includes Salisbury, Levittown and East Meadow. Maher, the Democratic, Working Families, and Liberal Party candidate, is challenging Republican incumbent Gary Hudes.

In the midst of her campaign five weeks ago, Maher was interviewed at Anton Newspapers headquarters in Mineola. She described herself as an advocate for working families who would work to reduce the homeowner tax burden, which is especially high for residents of the district, and make improvements that matter most to the constituents.

"We've made the slogan of our campaign 'Putting Families First', because that's what's not happening. I think we've put town government first, and what town government wants first," Maher said of the current Republican-controlled town government. "I think they don't have their priorities straight."

Maher hopes to bring an end to one-party rule in the Town of Hempstead, which now has one Democrat on the Town Board. A key issue for the candidate is her call to return part of the town's $80-plus million surplus to the residents in the form of a town tax cut, to help alleviate the homeowner tax burden. The candidate noted that this is especially important in light of the Nassau fiscal crisis which has increased the county portion of tax burden. Noting that Republican officials in the town have distanced themselves from this crisis, she said, "They have to take some responsibility."

"If you have that kind of money, you have to use it for the taxpayers," Maher said of the town's surplus. "In my opinion, they should return a fair portion of the surplus to the taxpayers in the form of a tax cut."

A lifelong East Meadow resident, Maher is a computer consultant and second-year law student, whose government experience has included working as a Congressional intern in Washington D.C., for the Nassau County District Attorney's Office, and for the Nassau Attorney's Office. Maher noted that she has also been a visible contributor to the local community, for example as a substitute teacher in the East Meadow School District. She added that she is also a former newspaper publisher and a union member. Her education includes a masters degree in humanities from Hofstra University, bachelor of arts in political science from the University of South Carolina, and the completion of graduate courses in instructional technology at New York Institute of Technology. She has also previously run for Congress and for County Legislature, she said.

Through her political and government experience, she said, she has learned to listen to people, and find out what their real needs are, in order to best respond to those needs. "You learn how to listen to people and focus on their issues," she said.

While she feels she knows residents' priorities, she believes the incumbent does not. For example, she said, while Hudes has focused primarily on beautification, particularly on major thoroughfares such as Hempstead Turnpike, residents are more concerned with the condition of their neighborhood roads, and would like to see more of their tax dollars spent on improving them. By talking to people through her campaigning in the district, she has concluded that the most important issues to residents are roads, taxes, and traffic safety. "He hasn't focused on those issues, and he hasn't answered their complaints," she said.

"For example, they do major roads reconstruction projects, but residents want the roads in their neighborhoods fixed - that's more important to them," she added. While the candidate worked on collecting the 1600 signatures required to get on the ballot, 900 of these obtained herself, she said, she discussed residents' needs, and learned about their issues. "They need a tax cut," she said, citing the average property tax bill in the district as $8,000. "They can't afford to pay the high taxes in Levittown and East Meadow. It's not in proportion to the value of their homes."

Maher said she has talked to several residents who are being forced to move out of the area because they can no longer afford high property taxes on their homes, or apartment rents.

Maher said that she wants to be elected as council member because, "I'd like to be a public servant." She feels that town council member is a crucially important job, especially considering the substantial size of the Town of Hempstead's budget, many zoning laws, and the issue of affordable housing. "People can't afford to pay their mortgages, and many are renting because they can't afford a down payment and mortgage payments. And rents are high too," she said. "As a councilman, Gary hasn't dealt with these issues."

Another practical issue which, she says, the town has failed to deal with is the perpetual problem of trees growing into wires and uprooting sidewalks. According to the candidate, residents are forced to pay for costly tree-trimming and sidewalk repair that results from tree growth, without adequate help from the town. "They want to see a town plan for dealing with the trees," Maher said of the residents. "And I think they're right - because that's what they live for - their homes and their families." She pointed to illegal housing as another important issue to the residents which Hudes has missed.

Maher also supports a living wage for all employees in the Town of Hempstead and Nassau County, and wants to see an end to low-paid, seasonal employment in the town. "Seasonal employees are hired at $7.50 an hour, to replace full-time union employees," the candidate said, noting that some have remained at seasonal status for five years, including many Levittown residents. "There should be reviews and promotions to full-time status."

If elected, she noted, she would work to improve the quality of life for residents, starting with a tax rebate. "I want to establish a plan where we use a fair portion of the surplus for a tax cut for the residents of the 6th district and the rest of the town's residents," she said.