Joseph S. Saladino for Oyster Bay Town supervisor

Long-awaited progress is happening at last in the Town of Oyster Bay under incumbent Supervisor Joseph S. Saladino.

Downtown Hicksville is finally beginning to bloom with new housing under construction, an improved train station hub and overdue overhauls of the Broadway Commons Mall and the old Sears property. All of that progress was first planted with a 2017 state revitalization grant secured by the Massapequa Republican.

Saladino is now eyeing Oyster Bay hamlet for similar growth on its waterfront. The vision is to make the area a "historical destination" with housing, additional parking and bicycle rentals connecting it to the Sagamore Hill National Historic Site. He's also working with the state Department of Environmental Conservation on remediating the Commander Oil pier property, a necessary step in a renewal process he hopes to complete in the next two years. 

Saladino, 65, efficiently runs one of the largest towns in America by population. Under his supervision, Oyster Bay has upgraded software for vital digital cybersecurity, created innovative same-day online building permits, and improved the town's bond rating which fell in the 2010s. Town government is also more transparent, with livestreamed meetings at varied times of day and increased digitization of forms and records.

But Saladino's administration also continues to take some unfortunate missteps, like the ugly episode last year when it mishandled the Masjid Al-Baqi mosque expansion in Bethpage, costing the town millions in legal fees. And Saladino has yet to adequately address concerns about high water bills from private provider Liberty Water and others upset about the prospect of the Propel NY Energy transmission line. There's also the huge missed opportunity at the 77-acre former Sunrise Mall property in Massapequa, where Saladino let an Amazon warehouse move forward.

His opponent, James T. Hoyle of Glen Head, is a lifelong town resident with experience in hedge funds and venture capital. The 28-year-old Democrat's focus is on making the town a place where his fellow Gen Zers can build lives. He's right that there is not enough affordable housing or a first-time homebuyer program.

This is Hoyle's first run in politics and he has a lot to offer in a public service career, but he would benefit from more local government experience. 

Saladino needs to step up his efforts on the Liberty Water negotiations and, rather than simply opposing the Propel energy line, get down to work on how to mitigate the disruptions. At the closed mall, there is still a chance to reclaim some of it for better use. Saladino should find innovative uses for the other two-thirds of the site still available for development. 

In 2023, we challenged Saladino to get downtown revitalization in Hicksville over the finish line. In 2026, he's getting it done. He's earned the opportunity to build on that success.

Newsday Opinion endorses Saladino.