Legislative races ramp up across levels of government
Local legislative elections are shaping up, with candidates across levels of government gearing up for county, town and village races.
Suffolk’s 5th District
Suffolk County Legislator Kara Hahn (D-Setauket), whose 5th District encompasses Port Jefferson, Port Jefferson Station/Terryville and Three Village, is termed out due to 12-year term limits for county legislators. To fill the open seat, former New York State Assemblyman Steve Englebright (D-Setauket) and former congressional candidate Anthony Figliola have stepped up.
Before receiving his party’s nomination, Englebright had previously occupied the seat from 1984 to 1992, after which he entered the state Assembly. He described this year’s bid as “coming home.”
“It’s been some 30 years in Albany, but my heart is always here in the community,” he said. “There’s a lot of work to be done.”
The core issues facing the 5th District, Englebright contended, are those related to the environment and public health. He stated his core priorities are protecting Long Island’s sole-source aquifer and its coastal waters.
“Science has advanced, and the connection between our drinking water and our tidal waters is more explicitly understood now,” the former assemblyman said. “The challenges are awaiting a legislative response to the science, so I’d like to be a part of that. I think I can make a meaningful contribution.”
He said he hoped to continue working toward preserving open space if elected and also emphasized protecting the Setauket and Port Jefferson harbors from contamination. He viewed restoring the county’s information technology systems, promoting affordable housing and limiting sprawl as central.
Figliola was the third-place finisher in 2022 during the GOP primary for New York’s 1st Congressional District. Among his professional credentials, he has served as deputy supervisor of the Town of Brookhaven and is currently executive vice president of a government relations and economic development business. A resident of East Setauket, he will represent the Republican Party in this year’s 5th District contest.
“With Kara leaving, we need someone who has a plan for the future of our district to make sure that we represent everybody,” he told TBR News Media. “I’ve done a tremendous amount of work with small business, with the environment and volunteerism in this community.”
He added, “I just jumped at the opportunity to be able to represent the people that I live and work with.”
Like Englebright, Figliola stressed the importance of water quality in the Setauket and Port Jeff harbors. He said he would also explore opportunities for more sewers, addressing electrification of the Port Jefferson Branch line of the Long Island Rail Road as an area of concern.
“I want to continue the work that I’ve been doing on a volunteer basis for almost seven years, which is to help bring the electrification of the Port Jefferson rail line here,” he said.
He added that supporting small business districts, preserving and developing parks, and encouraging community-based planning will be in focus.
Brookhaven’s 1st Council District
Incumbent Town of Brookhaven Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook), the sole elected Democrat in the town, is up for reelection this year. He entered the Town Board after a special election in March 2021 to replace former Councilwoman Valerie Cartright (D-Port Jefferson Station), who had won a seat on the state Supreme Court.
“Serving this community is something I’ve been doing for almost two decades through service on the [Three Village] school board, the [Three Village] Civic Association and other nonprofits like the Boys and Girls Club,” he said. “Community service is really my life’s passion.”
Kornreich stated that land use would remain a top-level interest if reelected, expressing concerns with Gov. Kathy Hochul’s (D) housing proposal for Long Island.
“One of the big looming policy issues that we’re facing is this potential threat from the governor’s office about seizing zoning control and handing it over to bureaucrats in Albany who don’t understand our communities,” he said.
The incumbent added, “We do have an affordable housing crisis — it’s just very difficult for people to find affordable places to live, and we have to address that. But we have to address it in a thoughtful way that’s sensitive to the makeup of these communities and the built environment where they currently exist.”
He also touched upon the quality of life issues that affect his constituents, such as overdevelopment and sprawl. He pledged to focus on building viable downtowns and parks while protecting the environment.
Carrying the Republican Party’s nomination in the race for CD1 is Gary Bodenburg, a special education teacher who ran for the Comsewogue Board of Education last year.
“I believe good government is needed at all levels, so I plan on continuing the mission and vision of [Brookhaven Town Supervisor] Ed Romaine [R] in maintaining fiscal responsibility by controlling taxes and spending, addressing environmental concerns and also keeping a close eye over the overdevelopment of our suburbs,” Bodenburg said.
The Republican candidate addressed other policy concerns, such as streamlining services within the town government to “provide better value for our tax dollars.”
“Specifically, I think it’s important that we address a 25A corridor study,” he said, adding, “I also look to finalize plans with Lawrence Aviation, as well as better enforcement of housing codes for problems with off-campus student housing.”
Bodenburg said that reducing the impact of traffic and improving town parks and marinas would also be on his agenda.
Port Jefferson’s Board of Trustees
So far, only two candidates have emerged in the villagewide race for the Port Jefferson Board of Trustees election on June 20. Two seats are up for grabs — one uncontested, as Deputy Mayor Kathianne Snaden is running for mayor.
Trustee Stan Loucks will seek his fifth election, having joined the board in 2015. During his tenure, he has served as trustee liaison to the parks department and Port Jefferson Country Club, coordinating with the administration on stabilization plans for the East Beach bluff.
“I love working for the village, specifically the areas that I’m assigned to,” Loucks said. “I just want to keep going. That’s the bottom line.”
Asked what policies he would seek to implement in the coming term, Loucks said reinvigoration of PJCC would be a continued area of emphasis. “I’d like to see more social activities and more community get-togethers focusing around what I think is the gem of the village, and that’s the country club,” he said.
Between new racket sports facilities, recreational programs and the finalization of coastal engineering projects along the bluff, he expressed optimism for such a revival of PJCC. “I want to see it come back,” he said.
Former village clerk Bob Juliano is also in the running. He has had considerable professional experience in municipal government, holding various administrative posts throughout his career in Port Jeff, Westbury and Lindenhurst villages.
“I have the knowledge and experience of being a clerk and a treasurer for the past 30 years for three different municipalities,” Juliano said. “I figured I could use that expertise and my knowledge and my know-how and put it to good use for the community that I live in.”
If elected, Juliano said he would like to “slow down what’s going on uptown.” Like Kornreich, he expressed apprehensions over Hochul’s housing priorities. And similar to Loucks, he proposed exploring a better use for PJCC.
“I’m very concerned about the country club,” he said. “I know they’re progressing with the wall and everything, which is a fantastic thing, but I’d like to see the country club be more viable as well as more welcoming.”
To read about the races for Suffolk County executive, Brookhaven town supervisor and Port Jeff Village mayor, see story, “Suffolk County exec race prompts turnover across local government,” at tbrnewsmedia.com.
