Brookhaven Highway Superintendent Dan Losquadro had a busy year filled with rain, sleet, snow and, now, a re-election bid. We think he handled them all fairly well and deserves a second term.
Just two years removed from being elected, Losquadro is just getting started at the Highway Department level after stints in the Suffolk County Legislature and New York State Assembly. After coming into office with the inheritance of a mounting debt and crumbling infrastructure, we feel the highway superintendent has been proactive and pragmatic in finding solutions to the county’s problems, while remaining transparent throughout his office’s shortcomings.
In one of the most tangible litmus tests, Losquadro has remained accessible with his office’s attempts at putting a dent in a backlog of road repaving and repair projects, while also admitting there was no way he could tend to every single one. That kind of honesty demonstrates his willingness to work with the public and trust in those he serves.
The winter was brutal and full of snowfall, and it didn’t stop there.
We even saw a horrific tornado barrel through the North Shore in August. All the while, we were pleased with Losquadro’s handling of the storms, hitting the pavement quickly and remaining accessible throughout.
He has also worked to bring the Highway Department into the current century, ushering in new technology and implementing new methods of doing business.
Losquadro’s opponent, Democrat Jason Kontzamanys, has based much of his opposition campaign on knocking the county’s debt and vowing to watch after the taxpayer’s dollar. While we agree with the sentiment of his argument, we don’t feel that is something the current superintendent fails to recognize or act upon.
There is always debt in government, but Brookhaven has stood out with a Moody’s bond rating of Aa2. If Moody’s has given the town a favorable rating, then the town is not in dire financial straits.
Businesses that don’t carry debt are few and far between, and while we recognize the town has mounting debt, we also feel Losquadro is privy to the financing of that debt and works to deal with it accordingly as much as a highway superintendent can.
Losquadro is just getting started. He had a tough winter with very little criticisms, especially from the ground level of his constituents, and we feel he should get another term under his belt.
