Gary Hudes is the Republican candidate, and Viki DeJong is the Democratic candidate for the 6th Councilmanic District of the Hempstead Town Board, in a special election pursuant to the court-ordered creation of councilmanic districts in the town. The district includes Salisbury, East Meadow, Levittown, North Merrick, North Wantagh and North Seaford. The election will be held Nov. 7.

Salisbury resident Viki DeJong is running as the Democratic candidate for Hempstead Town Board for the 6th Councilmanic District.

A retired New York City public school teacher and resident of Salisbury for 40 years, DeJong has been a civic activist for 20 years. After being on the front lines of such citizen causes as the closing of the original Town of Hempstead Incinerator, DeJong wants a chance to represent town residents as an elected official. In an interview last week, she said she wants to be elected because she feels that as a town board member, she would be a more effective citizen's advocate.

"I truly believe that I know town issues better than anyone running for office, and probably better than those holding office," said DeJong, adding, "I've made it my business to get to know the issues ... I'm more interested in the issues than in the politics."

DeJong's most well-known civic work is her role as co-founder and chair of the Citizen's Committee for Civic Action, Inc. The organization, which focuses on environmental, economic and social issues, successfully pushed for the closing of the original Hempstead Town Incinerator in 1981. Most recently, she served as legislative advisor to the Town of Hempstead Democratic caucus for six months, from January to Oct. 11, 2000.

Her experience also includes the following: co-founder and board member, New Cassel Environmental Justice Project, a Town of Hempstead/Town of North Hempstead Joint Environmental Superfund Remediation Project, member of Town of Hempstead Solid Waste Advisory Committee, member of the Town of Hempstead Cell Tower Task Force, member of the Nassau County Medical Center Community Board, current member and former executive board member of the Salisbury Civic Association, current voter registration co-chair of the Greater Westbury League of Women Voters, member of the Nassau County Master Plan and HUB Development Committee, former PTA president, past congregation president of the Community Reform Temple of Westbury, former Girl Scout leader and former volunteer teacher of English as a Second Language for Chinese adults. DeJong, who was born and raised in the Bronx, has bachelor's and master's degrees from New York University. The candidate has also been endorsed by the Liberal and Working Families parties.

DeJong said she feels the Republican Party's century-long dominance of town hall has created a system of government that rewards party loyalists with town jobs, keeping others out - and that this is a major issue that needs to be addressed. She described herself as an independent voice, and one who would work toward a more open government, and toward providing more information to the people. For example, she said, she would work toward getting an ombudsman in the town to serve as an advocate for citizens. She said that during her recent stint as issues advisor, she saw firsthand that telephone inquiries often go unanswered, and that many issues that are important to local citizens are not being addressed. For example, the candidate cited the slow pace of the town's installation of curb cuts for the disabled. She added, "There's an awful lot of roadwork that needs to be done, and some of the surplus should be used on that." She added, "Make it the best town it could be. And if it involves time and money, use time and money."

Although the current town administration is touting a $50 million surplus, DeJong said this is not proof of good government, and that the town only needs a 15 percent cushion. Some of the surplus should be used to improve services, according to the candidate. "I think if they spend more time looking at what needs to be done instead of touting the surplus, they would serve the people better," she said. "A $50 million surplus doesn't seem like good government to me. People are either being taxed too high, or the money isn't being used properly. It's probably a combination of both."

DeJong's campaign has consisted of door-to-door literature drops, mailings, outdoor signs, and advertisements in local newspapers. She described the effort as "grassroots," noting, "I must be outspent 100 to 1." This is not DeJong's first reach for town hall; she ran unsuccessfully for town board in the 1980s and town supervisor in the 1990s. But she feels that Democrats have a particular opportunity in this year's elections, after making inroads last year, in light of the ongoing Nassau County fiscal crisis and possible related backlash against the Republican Party. The Republican Party has dominated both county and town government for decades, DeJong noted. "I do, only because I think it has an impact on the town, and I think the town should learn a lesson from the county," she said.

In her campaign platform, DeJong describes herself as an independent voice who will work to free local government from the influence of party bosses and big political bosses. She vows to fight to ensure that every community in the town gets its fair share of government services for its tax dollars, and to work to lower taxes by eliminating patronage jobs for the politically connected and by reducing government waste. She also promises to work to restore the town's commercial and downtown areas by aggressively promoting the growth of small, environmentally sound businesses.