North Hempstead hires a comptroller — filling a nearly 3-year vacancy

North Hempstead has a new comptroller, filling a nearly three-year vacancy.

Last month, the town board voted 4-3 along party lines to hire Luigi DeVito, an attorney and accountant, for a $170,000 salary. DeVito started April 15, Umberto says, and he most recently was deputy county attorney and bureau chief of tax assessment litigation.

DeVito declined an interview but said in a statement that he was "excited" to join the town.

"I understand not only how government functions, but also how our decisions impact taxpayers and businesses," DeVito said. "It’s all about making government work smarter."

North Hempstead has not employed a comptroller, which manages the town's finances, since August 2023, when Kristen Schwaner resigned just four months after taking the job. When Schwaner joined, the role had been open for nearly 16 months. Paul Wood, the town's finance director, has served as acting comptroller in the interim.

North Hempstead operates a $138 million budget and a $42.89 million tax levy, Newsday has reported. 

Supervisor Jennifer DeSena said in a statement that DeVito will play a key role in helping the town advance its "comprehensive Master Plan and significant infrastructure and parks improvements," including to the town dock and North Hempstead Beach Park in Port Washington. DeSena pledged in March to update the town's master plan for the first time since 1989.

"After operating for nearly two years without someone in the role, restoring a Comptroller will strengthen budgeting and long-term financial planning across all departments," DeSena said in a statement.

DeSena said DeVito will ensure that "projects remain financially on track, that taxpayer dollars are managed responsibly, and that we continue delivering essential services while investing in the Town’s future." 

DeSena, a registered Democrat who caucuses with Republicans, voted to approved DeVito's hiring, alongside Republican council members Ed Scott, Dennis Walsh and Yaron Levy. Democratic council members Robert Troiano, Christine Liu and Mariann Dalimonte voted no.

Dalimonte during the meeting had questioned whether the board should vote on the resolution to hire DeVito because of a discrepancy in DeVito's salary as printed on the agenda. The resolution had stated DeVito's salary was $160,000, not $170,000, which the town said was in error. A separate resolution stating townwide employee moves contained the correct salary. That resolution was also approved.

By Joshua Needelman

joshua.needelman@newsday.com

Joshua Needelman covers the Town of North Hempstead for Newsday. A Long Island native and University of Maryland graduate, his work has appeared in publications including The New York Times and The Washington Post.