Richard J. Nicolello

RICHARD J. NICOLELLO

Republican

BACKGROUND:

• Nicolello, 61, of New Hyde Park, an attorney and the legislature’s presiding officer, seeks a 14th term, having served in the legislature since its inception in 1996. He is also on the Conservative line.
• He pushed for fixes to property reassessment, the county's response to COVID-19 and the budget. He negotiated a "lockbox" of sales tax revenue to help pay the backlog of owed tax refunds.
• He received a bachelor’s degree in government and politics from St. John’s University and a law degree from Fordham University.

ISSUES:

• Nicolello vows to pursue accuracy and transparency in property reassessment with a "thorough review" of the numbers and methods.
• He would lobby for permanent tax cuts of more than $70 million a year. He said this would be in addition to the GOP initiative to reduce or banish $100 million in real estate and traffic violation fees.
• He has concerns with state laws on bail reform and the decriminalization of marijuana. He plans to coordinate with police and the district attorney’s office to determine how the county will comply, including the release of witness information early in the legal process.