Nassau County Legislator Mazi Melesa Pilip is seeking a second term, running on a platform of working for her District 10 constituents to continue to meet their needs on issues such as crime, flooding and housing.

Pilip, an immigrant who was born in Ethiopia before migrating to Israel as a refugee where she attended the University of Haifa and Tel Aviv University, is a Republican candidate endorsed by the Conservative Party. She is running against challenger Weihua Yan, a Democrat from Great Neck.

She said her greatest accomplishment in office has been working alongside all stakeholders to deliver to her constituents.

“For me it’s not about Democrats or Republicans, it is all about the people,” Pilip said.

She said her work is defined by her collaborative efforts with her constituents.

“Each village, each civic association has different needs and based on that I communicate with the county and I’m trying to bring solutions for the issues that come up,” Pilip said.

She said she has worked to address hate crimes in the county, specifically about antisemitism, to combat the growing issue. She said this has been on the rise, especially since the war in Israel.

“This county is for everyone: black, white, Jewish, non-Jewish, it doesn’t matter,” Pilip said.

She said the three issues she is focused on are safety, adequate LIRR service and flooding.

Pilip said to improve safety in her district, she is working alongside all village mayors and community members to cater to their concerns.

She said overall crime is declining in her district and more police have been present. She said major crime is down 25%.

The legislator said she does not see any problems with the county’s policing and advocated for the continued funding of police. She said the community should also work alongside them in support.

“Our men and women in blue are doing an amazing job,” Pilip said.

She said if any of her constituents have complaints about the police force, she is willing to address them.

“I do have faith in our police department,” Pilip said.

The Nassau County Police Department has been criticized for its lack of transparency with crime reports delayed for months. Pilip said it is a good idea to make crime reports available monthly and she is looking into it.

Other issues she mentioned are the schedule changes for the Long Island Rail Road that have made commuting to and from the city more difficult for her constituents. She said she has been trying to convey these issues to the LIRR brass to address gaps in the schedule.

Pilip said she has also worked with the villages to address flooding and to target any distinct areas that are habitually affected.

She brought the county’s public works commissioner to her district to address flooding issues raised by community members.

“It’s a complicated issue, it’s not easy,” Pilip said. “We are talking about infrastructure that was built many, many years ago and when we have heavy storms, we see how they are impacting the residents.”

She said she requested a comprehensive study on the streets in 2024 to identify how the county can address flooding over the following three years. She said she is working on getting the Legislature to approve it.

She said that she believes flooding is exacerbated by climate change.

Housing has been an issue in Nassau County, with the rising price of homes and lack of affordable housing, and Pilip said mixed-use housing should be considered in some areas throughout the county. She said mixed-use housing will not only help residents stay local but also revitalize downtowns.

As a mother of seven, Pilip said she would like them to be able to continue living on Long Island.

“Things are very expensive,” Pilip said, “so thinking about the next generation is something we are all obligated” to do.

Pilip acknowledged that housing has been a problem over the years with little movement to fix it but more traction has been made with villages considering mixed-use housing. She said education is necessary in this pursuit.

“It will take time,” Pilip said. “It’s not a one-day fix.”

Pilip said she opposed the governor’s housing plan to increase housing on the island as it removed local municipalities’ control over zoning.

“I think we should give the towns, the village the control when it comes to housing because we want to make sure it’s not going to impact traffic, schools, noise, air quality,” Pilip said. Before downtowns can be revitalized, roads need to be repaved, she added.

Collaborating with the community is also important in revitalizing downtowns to draw in more new businesses. She said this has begun with new businesses coming into empty storefronts over the past year and a half.

Pilip said she is in support of not increasing taxes, saying that the county Legislature’s tax freeze is a way of cutting taxes for individuals.

She said the county’s audit to assess taxes found that the reassessment was previously done incorrectly due to rushing and implementing the wrong home sale data. She said the administration is reviewing the audit to learn from it and comprise a better plan.

As for the tax reassessment timeline, Pilip said the county should be given the time it needs to do it correctly. She was not able to answer when it would be complete as it is still under review.

“We are learning the issues again,” Pilip said, pointing out that the top focus is how to do it correctly.

New York City has been overwhelmed by an influx of migrants seeking refuge in the United States, with the Nassau County administration asserting it won’t help by offering to house some. Pilip opposed housing them at the Nassau County Coliseum, saying it is not a way to welcome migrants to the country.

As an immigrant herself, Pilip said she understands the need to help migrants. With that said, she said countries also have the responsibility to help their own citizens. She said policies need to be established to make the process beneficial to both parties.

“Those people are coming for a better life and we’re just allowing an uncontrolled migration,” Pilip said. “It should be something that the country takes seriously, coming up with [a] plan how we can help those people. Right now the way the situation is, it doesn’t help the American people and it doesn’t help the migrants as well.”

She said it is up to the federal government to address the problem.

“So the federal government better come up with the ideas and ways and policies” on how it is willing to absorb those migrants and give them the good life they were seeking, Pilip said.

She said that opioids have been a national issue that Nassau County is not exempt from. To address this issue, she advocated for continued spending of opioid settlement money that the county has and for criminal justice reform to assist in the issue.

Pilip affirmed that Biden was elected in a free and fair election and she would not support a presidential candidate that has been convicted of a felony.

She said voters should re-elect her because she delivers to her constituents.

“I am not a talker, really, I’m a person of action,” Pilip said.