Colin J. Bell

BACKGROUND

• Bell, 46, a registered Republican, is running on the Republican and Conservative lines. He has worked for the town of Oyster Bay for more than 20 years, currently serving as deputy commissioner of the Department of Environmental Resources.
• Bell, of Sea Cliff, has a bachelor's degree from SUNY Plattsburgh and a master's degree in public administration from Long Island University. 
• He spent years working as the town's chief grant administrator, helping secure a $10 million grant to revitalize Hicksville's downtown. Before that, he led a workforce development program to connect job seekers with training and funding.

ISSUES

• Bell said his main priority is protecting a "suburban quality of life" by staving off overdevelopment and defending against state officials seeking to circumvent local zoning rules.
• He said he plans to enhance public safety by supporting police through fair and advantageous contracts. If elected, he said he would also oppose battery energy storage facilities.
• He said he wants to protect and improve the water quality in Hempstead Harbor by expanding sewers with state and federal funding. He said he would also improve road infrastructure to prevent stormwater from leaking into the harbor.