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Suffolk County Legislator Bridget Fleming, Democratic Party nominee for NY-1. Photo by Rita J. Egan

This November, residents of New York’s 1st Congressional District are presented with two well-intentioned, highly informed candidates for U.S. Congress. Given the choice of only one, the majority of the TBR News Media endorses Suffolk County Legislator Bridget Fleming.

In our nearly two hours with the candidates, Fleming’s candor, intelligence, depth of insight and passion for the issues set her apart. Fleming expressed sincere concern for these matters and how they may affect real people. She did not speak of policies as a detached lawmaker but rather as a reflection of deeply held core values.

Whether on the economy, environment or future of American democracy, Fleming seemed deeply immersed in these subjects. Her platform seems guided by research and independent investigation but with a constant, overriding spirit of empathy and compassion driving her positions.

At this critical moment in our national history, Americans need to elect policymakers who can relate to the plight of ordinary citizens while engaging in reasoned, nuanced and empathetic policy debates. In her decades of experience championing her core beliefs, whether as a criminal prosecutor or public official, Fleming has proven she can do just that.

We hold that Fleming is the right person to represent the people of this district. This November, TBR News Media’s majority supports Bridget Fleming for NY-1.

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Nick LaLota, Republican Party nominee for NY-1. Photo by Rita J. Egan

The United States Congress has lost its way, and it is up to us, the voters, to put it back on track. If elected, Nick LaLota wants to do just that.

Americans overwhelmingly disapprove of the way Congress handles its work. Partisanship and polarization have eroded our national dialogue, and our elected representatives behave as children on a national stage. 

Meanwhile, with each passing year, Congress delegates more of its power to the executive and the innumerable agencies and offices that comprise the federal bureaucracy.

The Framers envisioned Congress as the preeminent branch of the federal government. They believed the legislature would be closest and most accountable to the people. Our forebears would be appalled at how Congress has devolved, how our elected representatives pass the buck to unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats.

LaLota seems sensitive to this truth. In our office debate, he advocated for serious Congressional reform. LaLota supports limiting the size and scope of federal legislation, trimming the legislative process of its pork-barreling and partisan earmarking, and restricting the authority of the bureaucracy.

We need to revive the power and prestige of Congress. Nick LaLota has a plan to help get us there. This November, TBR News Media’s minority endorses him for Congress.

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METRO photo

This is a rerun of last year’s explanation, updated for the current elections. 

By Leah S. Dunaief

Leah Dunaief

Inside this issue is a treasure trove of first-hand information about the candidates and the issues in the coming election. How do I know? Because we, the different members of the editorial board of Times Beacon Record Newspapers, personally interviewed people running for office across the three towns that we serve: Brookhaven, Smithtown and Huntington. The offices the candidates are running for are all local except for Congress, which means that these are the officials who will have the most direct effect on our lives. 

The positions range this year from county  comptroller and county clerk to state senators, and assembly men and women and Congress.

We asked them questions without bias, seeking only to understand who they were, what they believed and what we could expect from each of them, should they be elected — or re-elected, as the case might be. The setting in our conference room was relaxed, and we hoped comfortable, with opponents for each office seated together around the table responding to questions put to them by our editors and reporters. 

Sometimes there was only one candidate who  might be running unopposed or against a shadow opponent, but mostly there were two during each session. Most of the time, the hour went by calmly, but occasionally the opponents get testy with each other — they may even become openly hostile.

METRO photo

At one such session some years ago, one of the candidates invited the other out to the back parking lot “to settle things.” When the other began to take off his jacket, we quickly intervened. But there were no such flare-ups this year. 

The answers were timed in an attempt to get to the main ideas without running on too long. There was ample time at the end for each visitor to tell us anything more that perhaps we hadn’t elicited with our questioning. 

We discussed the candidates at the end of each hour and came to a conclusion for the endorsement. 

We have written up the details of each interview in a separate article for the election section. Most of the time, the editorial group was unanimous because the choices were fairly direct. But for a couple of races, we talked over the pros and cons of each candidate at length before making the selection. These endorsements are based on both the in-depth interviews and the considerable information we know about the incumbents since we have been covering them closely throughout their terms in office. Of course, after reading the stories, you may or may not agree with our conclusions. Our job is to get you thinking.

The many hours that are given to this task, throughout the month of October, are a service for our readers. We are privileged to enjoy an extended face-to-face time with those standing for election, and we feel an obligation to pass along whatever information, facts and impressions we gather during these sessions. We sincerely hope we help in the sometimes-difficult job of casting a responsible vote.

Each year we include in the election section a sample ballot that we are able to procure from the Suffolk County Board of Elections because readers have told us that it is a great advantage for them to receive the ballot at the voting poll already knowing how it is laid out.

Our editorial board is made up of staffers with different political leanings, but when we put our journalists’ hats on, we try to judge each race strictly on the merits of the opposing candidates. And while it is technically possible for me to be tyrannical about the final selections, that is almost never the case. We decide by majority rule.

Sincere thanks to the talented staff who join in this extra work each year. We truly believe that we are watchdogs for the people, and nowhere is that more necessary than in reporting about government and its office holders. We hope we have helped you, whether you read by newspaper and/or online. Now please vote. 

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State Assemblyman Steve Stern and his opponent Aamir Sultan discuss where they stand on local issues during a TBR News Media debate. Photos by Raymond Janis

Whoever wins the 10th District of the New York Assembly, incumbent Steve Stern (D-Dix Hills) or Republican Aamir Sultan will find a slightly changed district awaiting them. The district has lost areas in the current southern portion of the district and will gain portions toward the west. Beginning in 2023, it will include Cold Spring Harbor, Dix Hills, Greenlawn, Huntington, Huntington Station and Melville in Suffolk County and Old Bethpage, Plainview and Woodbury in Nassau County.

 

Candidate backgrounds

Sultan, of Dix Hills, said he came to the United States from Pakistan when he was young. His education and career background are in computer sciences and artificial intelligence. He said his uncle, the former Pakistan President Gen. Pervez Musharraf, inspired him to pursue public service. Sultan said since 2015 he has been involved in Urban League of Long Island, been part of the Suffolk County Asian American Advisory Board and the Nassau/Suffolk Anti-Bias Task Force.

Stern has served as state assemblyman for two terms. Previously, he was a Suffolk County legislator for six terms. In April of 2018, Stern became the first Democrat elected to represent the district in more than 30 years when he defeated Republican candidate Janet Smitelli, 5,748 to 3,969 votes.

 

Reproductive rights

Stern said many constituents are worried that New York State laws regarding abortion may be overturned. He said he has the same concern, especially if gubernatorial candidate U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY1) is elected.

“Make no about it mistake that a woman’s right to choose is absolutely on the ballot,” Stern said. “We know that after the Supreme Court decision, not just a ruling that throws out 50 years of judicial precedent, but in additional commentary that says other rights that we have taken for granted, for generations, are now up for discussion and possible change as well.”

Stern said a woman’s right to choose involves her family and her doctor — and not politicians.

Sultan quoted former President Bill Clinton (D) who once said abortion should be “safe, legal and rare.” He said Zeldin will not change the law if elected.

“The Supreme Court has left it to the states to make a decision, and [Zeldin] has several times stated that he’s not going to change anything, even if he tries he has to come to the Assembly,” Sultan said.

 Crime

Sultan said crime is up 40% in New York State and violent crimes are up 21.7% in Huntington. He said cashless bail and defunding the police has created the increase.

“They want to weaken the hands of law enforcement agencies and give a free hand to the criminals,” Sultan said.

He said cashless bail has to be repealed and more funding should be provided to empower the police.

“If there are any issues people are having with law enforcement agencies, we have to train them — maybe they lack training,” Sultan said. “Instead of taking resources away we have to give them more resources, because that’s their job to serve us right and protect us.”

Stern said local elected officials have not talked about defunding the police, and he feels the Suffolk County Police Department officers are well trained.

“They are the model and example of training,” he said. “For anybody to say that the hardworking men and women of our local law enforcement need more money thrown at it for better training just does not understand the current status of our local law enforcement that we should all be very proud of.”

The assemblyman said when bail reform was first presented, he was new to the state Assembly. He said he did not support bail reform as it was first presented.

“It was not a very well-written bill, and you knew where ultimately it might lead to,” he said.

Stern added he has introduced, sponsored and co-sponsored more than 25 bills to impact bail reform to get “the right balance of fundamental fairness in our criminal justice system, while keeping us safe as well.”

He wrote a bill that included offenses that should be bail eligible. He asked for 19 crimes to be reinstated and got 15 back on the bail-eligible list. He added there is more work to do.

Sultan rebutted that are still more cashless crimes that need to be taken off the list such as stalking, rape, child porn, endangering the welfare of the child, manslaughter second degree and more.

Education

Sultan said he decided to run for office after hearing his nephews were required to receive the COVID-19 to return to school in person. He doesn’t believe in a COVID-19 vaccine mandate. He also believes that students are being taught things in school that has nothing to do with math, science, English and other basics. Sultan said at one school he visited he was disturbed by some books being available to students that he felt weren’t age appropriate and he feels damage is being done.

He said he also had a problem with his 5-year-old son coming home from school and telling him he was told if he wanted to be a girl, he could be a girl.

“These little minds are being corrupted,” he said.

Stern commented on the debate about books made available in school libraries. He said there are specific guidelines that are followed by educational professionals and school boards that he says reflect community standards. He added it’s not the role of professionals and not the politicians.

Water quality

Stern said the county is still 70% unsewered and it can’t continue as such.

“We have to be more aggressive when it comes to preserving the integrity of the water that we drink, and one of the keys is sewer infrastructure,” he said.

He added more county legislators need to begin identifying areas in their district that require sewers.

“They need to start that process and then it will be up to us on the state level to deliver the funding,” he said.

Stern gave the example of the stretch of Route 110/New York Avenue through Huntington Station that he said the lack of sewering has delayed revitalization. While in the county Legislature he introduced the bill that began the planning process for the area, and recently delivered the last $22 million needed to deliver the infrastructure.

Sultan said he is for sewering in downtown areas. He added he would like to see a website that shows the funds allocated for sewers as well as where the money is coming from whether federal, state or elsewhere.

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TBR conducted a phone interview with Democrat Lisa Jimenez, left, and Republican Vincent Puleo, right, stopped by the office to discuss the 2022 county clerk race. Photo of Jimenez from candidate; photo of Puleo by Raymond Janis

For Suffolk County clerk, TBR News Media endorses Vincent Puleo.

Puleo has an impressive track record regarding organizing and digitizing records in the Town of Smithtown where he currently is town clerk. He also was able to get the Smithtown town clerk’s office back and running quickly after the COVID-19 shutdowns, with residents emailing the office and setting up appointments. The office was one of the easiest places to get a marriage license at the beginning of the pandemic.

He also has a good track record in obtaining grants to supplement the municipality’s budget.

We agree with Lisa Jimenez that her career and volunteer work have provided her with a wealth of valuable experience where she can quickly learn what she needs to do. But when you have someone like Puleo who has already run a similar office, it seems his win would lead to a seamless transition when Judith Pascale’s term ends.

After the county cyberattack that led to a backup in services, we need someone who can step into the position and hit the ground running. For us, that person is Puleo.

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Bankruptcy attorney Cooper Macco hopes to unseat incumbent Keith Brown in the 12th Assembly District. Macco’s photo from candidate; Brown’s photo from his Facebook page

In the New York State Assembly race in the 12th District, incumbent Keith Brown (R-Northport), who was elected to the office in 2020, is being challenged by Democrat Cooper Macco. The latter is a consumer bankruptcy attorney who lives in Halesite.

Brown’s campaign didn’t respond to requests from TBR News Media to participate in a debate with Macco at our offices. Macco was interviewed over the phone. Brown’s camp also did not respond to a request for a phone call, and his comments in this article are taken from an Oct. 26 debate with his opponent hosted by the League of Women Voters of Huntington and his campaign website.

In addition to northern and eastern sections of Huntington, the 12th Assembly District also includes the northeast section of Babylon and northwest section of Islip.

Cooper Macco

For Macco, it was his clients experiences that led him to the state Assembly race.

“Working as a bankruptcy attorney kind of showed me a lot of the issues facing Long Islanders right now, particularly financial issues that you’re seeing everywhere as a result of the high cost of living, the lack of affordable housing, lack of health insurance, high medical costs related to loss of insurance or other unexpected illness or injury,” he said.

Long Island needs to have its fair share of the New York State budget, he said, “in order to expand infrastructure and make much-needed capital improvements. I think that, right now, we are seeing a lot of money leave Long Island to go upstate.”

In addition to addressing infrastructure budgetary concerns, Macco said it’s also important to preserve water quality.

“As Long Islanders, I think we are so lucky to have the water around us, the natural resource around us,” he said. “I think we need to make sure that we can preserve that for future generations. We have such high nitrogen levels in the water which leads to algae blooms, fish kills as a result of that. Largely that’s due to cesspools and septic tanks that are leaching into our groundwater.”

He added the district needs to move toward self-contained home wastewater treatment centers and to expand Huntington and Northport sewers, “including in some residential areas.”

Financially, he said he would seek to help working families with expanding universal pre-K, child care tax credits and grants for child care providers.

“You see a lot of families on Long Island who are put in a situation where surviving on a single income on the Island is very difficult,” he said. “And a lot of times you have a family, young family, that has child care needs, and in such certain situations, you see people working just to afford child care. The cost of child care on Long Island is only getting higher, it’s only getting harder to find that in an affordable way.”

He added he feels pre-K programs help with food insecurity, too.

“The most innocent, the most vulnerable children have a place where they can get one or two meals a day without issue and that can start at a younger age,” he said.

Macco said currently the universal pre-K system is good, but it’s still on a lottery basis. He said he will aim to make it a global option for all.

Regarding public schools on Long Island, Macco said while there are excellent schools in the district, more funds can always be used.

“I think we need to make sure that money in the budget is going into public schools, and not being rerouted by entities looking to operate charter schools and operate for-profit institutions that are only taking money from the public schools,” Macco said.

He is a proponent for expanding public transportation on Long Island, including a more comprehensive railroad system in Suffolk County with the mode of transportation connecting into more areas. The hope, he said, is for fewer people relying on driving everywhere. “The cost of living and working on Long Island is high,” he said. “So, we need to make sure that people who work on Long Island can live on Long Island.”

Touching on the subject of cashless bail, Macco said he would like to see slight amendments such as more judicial discretion, but said he supports bail reform as it is overall.

“It’s important to remember the purpose of bail and the purpose of the bail reform,” he said. “Bail reform was to prevent underprivileged people who couldn’t afford cash bail, to avoid sitting in jail for several months or a year awaiting trial. People are innocent until proven guilty.”

Keith Brown 

Brown, who is a practicing attorney, said during the League of Women Voters debate that his career experience has been an asset during his two-year tenure as an assemblyman.

“What sets me apart from my opponent is really my experience,” he said. “It’s that 27 years of building relationships, of working as a municipal lawyer in all of the towns throughout Long Island.” 

He gave the example of working with five layers of government to get Northport Harbor dredged. Brown said working with elected officials throughout the years led to him getting the help he needed in this pursuit.

During the debate, the assemblyman said his top concerns are public safety, hyperinflation and the opioid epidemic. He added there is a supermajority in both houses, and it’s important to have checks and balances.

“New York state is a mess right now, and it’s a mess because it’s been controlled by one party for far too long,” Brown said.

The assemblyman said while there have been measures to help residents during the recent rise in inflation, including the gas tax moratorium, he believes there also needs to be assistance when it comes to groceries and heating oil.

“There’s a lot of hurting people out there,” he said. “We have food insecurity here in Huntington and Babylon and in Islip. These things are happening around us.”

On his campaign website, Brown said the New York State budgets in two years rose from $176 billion to $212 billion.

“We should cut unnecessary, wasteful spending, help drive inflation down and demand more fiscal conservatism in Albany,” he wrote.

The assemblyman also commented on bail reform at the Oct. 26 debate.

“We have seen the harmful effects of cashless bail in the state of New York,” he said.

In order to reform the current law regarding cashless bail, he said meaningful and comprehensive revisions need to be done. He would elicit the help of judges, district attorneys, public defenders and victim rights groups.

He said one of the downfalls of bail reform has been that addicts no longer have the choice of treatment in lieu of incarceration if arrested.

Brown is a member of the Assembly’s Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Committee. According to his campaign website, he has advocated “that the Opioid Settlement Fund be distributed as quickly as possible and given Suffolk County recommendations on where these funds should be allocated.”

On his campaign website, Brown calls to “fully repeal bail reform, restore judicial discretion and eliminate crime from our streets and public transportation.”

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Former county legislator Susan Berland and incumbent Mario Mattera will be on the ballot for state senator in the second district. Photos by Raymond Janis

TBR News Media isn’t endorsing anyone in the race for state Senate in the 2nd District because the editorial staff feels both candidates are equally qualified.

While it may be difficult for a newspaper to choose who to endorse in this race, it’s a win for voters. Whichever candidate succeeds, we will have someone who is qualified and committed to doing the best for New York state and the 2nd District.

Berland has decades of political experience behind her, and it’s evident her experiences with the Town of Huntington and Suffolk County will be an asset in Albany if she wins.

Mattera has learned a great deal during this two-year term as senator. He has quickly evolved from a freshman senator to a knowledgeable elected official. We are confident that he will stand by his promise that he will not be working to change New York State’s abortion legislation, and if gubernatorial candidate Zeldin wins, we will hold Mattera to his word that he will not work to reverse those laws in the state.

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Pictured above, Suffolk County Comptroller John M. Kennedy Jr. (R). Photo by Rita J. Egan

After serving in the office for the last eight years, Suffolk County Comptroller John M. Kennedy Jr. (R) is seeking reelection.

His challenger, Democratic Party nominee Thomas Dolan, is not openly campaigning and therefore could not be reached for comment.

‘I think Suffolk County still needs a shakedown.’

— John Kennedy

In an exclusive interview, Kennedy defined the function of the comptroller’s office, its central role in the fiscal stability of the county government, and why he is pursuing election to that office yet again.

He described his responsibilities as overseeing the county’s financial operations. However, the scope of the office goes well beyond this purpose, with auditing powers and administrative duties related to the former Office of Treasurer.

“It has been a great gig,” Kennedy said. “I have thoroughly enjoyed it. Eight years into it, I think we’ve been able to do some good things.” He spoke of his opponent, “I hear he’s a very nice individual.”

Kennedy said he has several programs and policy initiatives he intends to get off the ground if reelected. Among these is upgrading the county’s financial infrastructure to improve the office’s operations and connect currently disconnected frameworks.

“One of the components in that is unifying the capital budget function,” he said. “It is critical from a budgeting perspective, from a management perspective, that we bring all those disparate databases together so that we have continuity and good stewardship of our money.”

Kennedy also plans to request two additional auditors from the county Legislature to oversee the expenditures of approximately $185 million in opioid-related settlements to Suffolk County. [See story, “Suffolk County launches grant application program to fight opioid crisis,” TBR News Media, July 28, also TBR News Media website.]

“Many have said that they want to see contemporaneous oversight of the opioid settlements,” the county comptroller said. “We received $25 million [so far] … but unfortunately, there is a propensity in government for money to go to all different types of things.” 

He added, “Our electeds, our advocates, our treatment community want to make sure that there’s good, contemporaneous oversight regarding expenditure and use of those funds.”

Kennedy augmented his audit staff from 19 to 34 members during his two terms in the comptroller’s office. He viewed this as progress and committed to increasing the number of auditors at his disposal.

“I’ve been very aggressive with [hiring] our audit staff,” he said. “I think we need to do more of that. I want to bring that on in some other aspects of the office, including IT.”

Having served in this capacity for some time now, he believes he possesses the requisite experience and institutional knowledge to discharge the county’s finances responsibly.

“This is the kind of office that lends itself to almost limitless opportunities,” he said.

But it has yet to be smooth sailing for Kennedy or the public fund. Citing an analysis, by New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli (D), which considered fund balance and borrowing cycles, among other concrete financial measures, he acknowledges that Suffolk County ranks near the bottom among the state’s 62 counties in terms of fiscal responsibility.

“It’s indisputable that going back two or three years ago, we were the 62nd in ranking out of all 62 counties in the state of New York,” Kennedy said. “The most recent evaluation has moved us up.”

Despite Suffolk’s checkered financial record, the comptroller believes this assessment requires further context. He contends the analysis measures Suffolk against other counties throughout the state, which are less populated and with budgets dwarfed by Suffolk County’s $3.8 billion annual budget.

Instead, he favors an “apples to apples” method of comparing the county’s finances to those of the “Big Five”: Suffolk, Nassau, Erie, Monroe and Albany counties.

“They’re the largest concentrations of cities, budget size and municipal function,” he said, adding, “We’re somewhat comparable with them.”

Still, Kennedy supports “serious fiscal reform,” stating that he intends to embark upon a “shakedown” of the county government.

“I think Suffolk County still needs a shakedown,” he said. “The underlying platform and premise for us is unsustainable. Unless we do something to address the proliferation of things that we have — and the areas where we’re not delivering services adequately — I think we will be destined for serious financial strife in ‘24.”

The county government may be able to get through the 2023 fiscal year comfortably, according to Kennedy, due to substantial financial reserves generated during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, he foresees those reserves drying up and the effects to be felt within a year. 

“We are on a runaway train with inflation,” he said. “We are seriously, seriously compromised internally in our financial structure.”

Throughout the interview, Kennedy named several individuals with whom he disagreed on policy grounds. In the face of these differences, he finds that he still manages to build bridges across the aisle and discover common ground. 

“The middle [of the road], registered, undeclared [voting population] keeps growing,” he explained. “My sense with folks that are in that category is they want to talk about the issues, hear about what’s important to them, and know what you’re going to do with the opportunity they give you.”

Kennedy asserted that the general public is decreasingly tolerant of partisans and political extremists. Instead, the regular voter thirsts for tangible results from the government. The county comptroller says his efforts to reach across the aisle have generally been reciprocal.

“What I’m talking about with them is the operations, the nuts and bolts of government,” he said. “I’m not talking about whether you’re pro-abortion or pro-life, or whether you believe in cashless bail or whether you want to legalize heroine.”

He added, “I’m talking about how to pay bills, how to recruit and keep talent, how to do the things necessary for the vast majority of people that interact with the county government.”

Whether Kennedy will apply his “nuts and bolts” political philosophy to other realms of the county government is still to be decided. Next year, the highest post in Suffolk County, the office of county executive, will be up for grabs.

Kennedy received the Republican nomination for county executive in 2019, but was defeated by incumbent Steve Bellone (D). When asked if he would pursue that office again, Kennedy responded, “We’ll see what the future brings.”

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Suffolk County Comptroller John Kennedy, above. Photo by Rita J. Egan

The comptroller’s seat is not the glamor position of the county government. Yet, it is an important office that demands our respect and interest. TBR News Media supports Kennedy’s reelection campaign this November.

Having faith that the officials will handle our tax dollars responsibly lies at the core of what it means to participate in representative government. Administrative in its nature, the comptroller’s office conducts financial monitoring and audits, among several other essential tasks. 

Kennedy appreciates this responsibility. He embraces it fully and carries enthusiasm and focus into that office which we can respect and admire.

Having served in the post for two terms, he has the experience and institutional insight to execute his duties well. He brings to the comptroller’s office a firm understanding of finance and a knowledge of the law rooted in his background as a lawyer.

In his interview with TBR News Media, Kennedy warned of possibly serious financial strife by 2024. If an economic downtown is in the cards for Suffolk County residents, then it is in our interest that our comptroller understands the office and can adapt it to meet the needs of the changing circumstances.

Finally, Kennedy outlined his “nuts and bolts” political philosophy, arguing that politicians often ignore the most pressing issues due to partisanship and tribalism. We agree with this assessment and ask that he continues to apply this approach, keeping the county government running smoothly.

We appreciate Kennedy’s openness, eagerness to express himself and desire to serve. In this year’s election for Suffolk County Comptroller, TBR News Media strongly supports John M. Kennedy Jr. for reelection.

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TBR conducted a phone interview with Democrat Lisa Jimenez, left, and Republican Vincent Puleo, right, stopped by the office to discuss the 2022 county clerk race. Photo of Jimenez from candidate; photo of Puleo by Raymond Janis

After a June primary, current Suffolk County Clerk Judith Pascale (R) will not be running for the position.

Republican Vincent Puleo, town clerk of Smithtown, defeated Pascale, who has served in the position since 2006, in the primary election. In November, Puleo will face Democrat Lisa Jimenez, a newcomer to running for political office.

Jimenez was unable to come into the TBR News Media office for a debate. Puleo stopped by for an in-person interview with the editorial staff, and Jimenez answered questions from the writer in a phone conversation.

Vincent Puleo

Puleo, a Nesconset native, was a bar and restaurant owner for 26 years before a turn in the insurance business and then becoming town clerk in 2005. He has been a volunteer with the Nesconset Fire Department for 50 years and is the president of the Nesconset Chamber of Commerce.

He said he feels it’s important to be community-minded regarding his current position, and he will bring that mindset to the county.

“Without community interaction, people don’t know who you are, they don’t know what you do,” he said.

The county clerk position oversees access to deeds, title searches and supreme court records. Puleo said he has priorities if he wins the election, including transparency, constituent services and making records more accessible, including online.

Puleo added that he feels Pascale has done a good job regarding transparency, and he will look to see if anything else can be done to make the process even more transparent. His aim, he said, is to make all processes smoother.

Puleo said he feels people shouldn’t have to go to the county clerk’s office in Riverhead to get a record when it could be as simple as registering on the county’s website and accessing it virtually. 

He said he has obtained $350,000 grants three years in a row to digitize Smithtown records for the town itself, as well as the villages and fire departments within the township.

He said 90% of the supreme court records are digitized, and he would continue that trend. He added that unions have been concerned with records being digitized because it may eliminate employees.

“Not really, what it does is it gives you more time to service more people,” he said.

Once the county’s website is back up and running after the recent cyberattack, he said he feels improvements can be made to the site to make it more user-friendly. Before the cyberattack, title searches were already backed up, and he would like to make the process more efficient. He said first it’s important to meet with department heads to work together for the common goal.

Puleo said to avoid cyberattacks such as the one the county suffered from early in September, IT professionals need to be in charge overall of the entire county system and know what goes on in each department to ensure that everything that is imported or exported is protected. He said he understands the county is moving in that direction, which he finds encouraging.

Puleo added that he and other elected officials can advocate for the county to spend more money, and he applauds Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone (D) for allocating $8 million toward IT measures.

The Republican candidate added it helps to have relationships with elected officials, and over the past few months he has met with every county legislator.

“It’s a situation where you need to have those people understand where you’re coming from, and they have to trust you, and you have to trust them,” Puleo said. 

Lisa Jimenez

Jimenez, of Medford, has worked at the Suffolk Regional Off-Track Betting for more than four decades. Before working full time for OTB, she worked as an assistant in Congressman Michael Forbes’ office (R/D-NY1).

She has been a member of Teamsters Local 237 and the AFL-CIO. The candidate also has volunteered as a catechist and at local food banks. She was active in her children’s PTA and recently was certified with Washington-based Underground Railroad which works to raise awareness about human trafficking and prevent it.

Jimenez said she feels her work experience and volunteer endeavors would be an asset to the county clerk position.

“I’m used to working with fast-paced, large groups and working with the unions,” she said. “I’ve learned how to come up with solutions quickly.”

Jimenez said she is open to learning new things.

“I’m willing to sit down and learn whatever I need to do to get the job done,” she said.

During her time with OTB, she has gone from cashier to human resources manager. 

“As a manager, as a cashier, I’ve done it front and center,” Jimenez said. “It’s not below me to do the job of the cashier. My branch needs to be cleaned then I’m out there cleaning. I will make myself as accessible as possible.”

After the recent cyberattack, she said she doesn’t think the county has made the best decisions as far as improvements to minimize security issues in the past, and she would meet with IT professionals to seek better solutions for internet security.

Regarding the website in general, she said she has had issues at times navigating through the county’s website and would like to see it be more user-friendly, especially when trying to access records.

“There’s always ways to improve upon what’s already there,” she said.

Jimenez believes completely digitizing records is better for the constituents, and she doesn’t feel that all records being digitized would lead to less employees.

Jimenez said if there was room in the budget, she would like to see the county open up satellite county clerk offices so residents wouldn’t have to travel to Riverhead to get paperwork. She would also suggest the offices stay open later than usual one or two days a month to make it easier for people who work a 9-to-5 job.

She said she would look to make the office more efficient with document processing being quicker.

“I think the next thing is the turnover of the paperwork,” she said. “How can we get that? You look at any other county, the paperwork is in and out. Ours isn’t.”

She also suggested providing assistance, possibly an office liaison, for veterans or those with disabilities to make it easier for them.

Jimenez agrees that Pascale has run a transparent office.

“I think she’s done a great job all these years,” she said. “I have nothing negative to say about her or Vinny. But, I think there’s always room for improvement.”

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