North Hempstead Town Supervisor Judi Bosworth and the Town Board unanimously approved the appointment of Averil Smith to the position of Town Comptroller last Tuesday. Smith is a Certified Public Accountant, with more than 23 years of financial experience in the private sector.
“My administration is committed to fiscal stability and I am confident that Averil can lead our comptroller’s office with the conservative eye necessary to keep the town on a strong financial foundation,” said Supervisor Bosworth. “I believe her previous experience and success at a host of reputable private companies will translate well to municipal government.”
“I look forward to joining the Town of North Hempstead and working with the Supervisor, Town Board and staff, as we continue to build on the town’s strong financial legacy,” said Smith.
Smith previously held positions as Controller at both MZ Berger, Inc., a watch manufacturing company, and at ABC Home Furnishings, as well as 11 years in various audit roles including nearly 3 years at Ernst & Young. She holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Brooklyn College, and a master’s degree in finance from Baruch College. Smith resides in Elmont and is scheduled to start in her new position after Labor Day.
Supervisor Bosworth and the board also unanimously approved a resolution setting the date for a vote on the 2016 budget for Oct. 29, prior to Election Day on Nov. 3. This is the second consecutive year that the board will be voting on the town’s budget before Election Day, a promise that Supervisor Bosworth made last year in order to promote openness and transparency in the budget process. The board approved a budget hearing date for Oct. 13 as well.
“I have always emphasized process, procedure and transparency as the best means by which we can ensure openness and integrity in government and I believe that taxpayers deserve to know what the town’s final budget is prior to Election Day,” said Supervisor Bosworth. “I am committed to having the budget vote before Election Day as long as I am supervisor.”
Also approved at the meeting:
• The setting of a Sept. 29 hearing date to consider a local law to protect property and native plants from the damaging spread of bamboo by regulating existing bamboo and prohibiting the planting of new bamboo within the town.
• The submission of a $260,000 grant application to the U.S. National Parks Service Maritime Heritage Grant Program for the Stepping Stones Lighthouse.
• The acceptance of a $4,800 gift from the Fanny Dwight Clark Memorial Garden, Inc. for the purpose of servicing the Clark Botanic Garden pond to remove algae.
• A grant application to the New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation under the Water Infrastructure Improvement Act Clean Water Grant which would be used to fund sewers for North Hempstead Beach Park.
The next meeting of the town board will be held on Sept. 29, at 7:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.northhempsteadny.gov.
—Submitted by the
Town of North Hempstead
