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McVeety and Gordon face challenge for Town seats from Connors and Giambruno Babylon Town Supervisor Steve Bellone is not up for reelection this year after having won a four-year seat two years ago. The administration of the popular Democrat, however, who ran every two years prior to 2005, is very much part of this year's political campaign as Republicans, Chris Connors and Philip Giambruno wage a campaign against the Bellone team: Ellen McVeety and Jacqueline Gordon. Make no mistake about it, said the two women; this campaign is as much about the Bellone administration as it is about them. "We are a team and we are working to bring the team message to the public," said McVeety, who first ran for the board in 1999, after serving as Town Clerk. "Each one of us has our own unique qualities, but we work together for the people of Babylon." "What we have right now is a 5-0 board that rubber stamps everything through," said Connors. "There is no one on the board who asks the tough questions." McVeety rejects that argument saying that each member of the board, regardless of party affiliation, is an individual who takes their role and responsibility seriously. And that means working for the people, not the Bellone administration, nor a political party. "It is easy to think that we all agree because we do most of our arguing and questioning behind the scenes," said McVeety. Reinforcing that point, McVeety pointed to the issue of the Oak Beach Inn property as an example. She publicly opposed building condominiums there when most of the other members of the board thought the plan had merit. "At the time, the town was ready to move forward with that project and I fought it and rejected it," she said. In addition to Bellone, the board consists of McVeety, Gordon, Councilwoman Carol Quirk, all Democrats, and Lindsay Henry, who ran as an Independence Party candidate. "I take my job very seriously," said Gordon, a guidance counselor at Wilson Tech and a U.S. Army Reservist who has served in two war zones, Afghanistan and Iraq. The mother of two teenagers, Gordon ran for the board last year when incumbent Democrat Dave Bishop chose not to seek reelection. "And I know my fellow board members are ethical and work hard to help the people of this town and to represent them fully." Gordon made history when she was sworn in as the first African-American to serve on the Town Board. That role has opened doors to the African American community, she said. "From what I have observed, the entire community has been served well by the Bellone administration, but if African Americans feel more comfortable and more represented on the board, or come to me with their concerns, that is a good thing," she said. "And I do what I would do with any resident: listen and then try to solve a problem." Connors worked on Wall Street, taking a leave of absence in 2001 to raise his two children following the death of their mother. Now that they are older, he said, he decided it was time to get involved in politics and help his community. The Amityville resident, whose running mate has taken some time off during this campaign to address health issues, began his work by knocking on doors and talking to residents, developing a platform based on their concerns about taxes, gang violence, Town spending and Town debt. "People just want to know where their tax money is being spent," said Connors who pledged to place the Town's annual budget and monthly expenditures on the Town website. "The Town says that it has not raised taxes in five years," said Connors. "That is true, but one of the reasons it did not have to raise taxes is because it took in more than $50 million as a result of all of the mortgage refinancing that has been done. That money is going to dry up. Then what is the Town going to do?" he asked. Speaking on behalf of his own financial policies, Bellone responded that the Town has consistently estimated the revenue from this funding stream cautiously and that it will continue to do what it has been doing during his administration- reduce costs by implementing efficiencies. We continue to reduce the size of government and spend cautiously, he said, using extra funds to pay for projects that we would have otherwise bonded. "As a result we have dramatically improved Town finances, reducing our debt since 2001 when I was elected, from $164.3 million to $147.2 million, and fulfilling a campaign promise I made to pay off more every year than we borrow." What is more significant, said McVeety and Gordon, is that while doing that, the Town also improved services and its Town facilities. They point to the construction of the new pool in North Babylon, and the revitalized beach areas and spray parks in Copiague and Lindenhurst. The Town also moved forward with restoring the Oak Beach Inn property, has resurfaced or repaved more than 400 of the Town's 550 roads, prioritizing them under a new program in the revamped highway department that also addressed other issues such as the Town's snow plowing program. "The road program is designed to ensure that we extend the lives of the Town's roads, saving taxpayer money," said Gordon, adding that the new highway department's GPS system also protects and preserves taxpayer money. Connors said that these are difficult times for many people and that the Town's "lavish" spending should stop. "Why do we need two multi-million dollar water parks within a couple of miles of each other," he said. "This money should have been used to reduce the Town's debt, which is two times higher per capita than Islip's. "Our debt is in line with the size of our Town," said Bellone. A report filed by Fitch Ratings, an independent finance company, recently upgraded Babylon's bond rating from A-minus to A, citing among other things its "diversified economic base, low debt levels and manageable capital needs." "The Town (audits) show a continued trend of enhanced liquidity and reserves across all tax-supported funds," the report noted. "The Town has shown a willingness to raise recurring revenues to cure deficits in the highway fund, and continues to budget conservatively." The report noted some risks as well, pointing to a sluggish tax base growth as a result of the Town being more than 90 percent developed and a "growing dependence on economically sensitive mortgage tax revenues," as Connors noted. It called the Town's debt position, favorable, however, "with levels low at $779 per capita." The report also addressed a thorn in the Town's financial side dating back to the mid-1990s as it relates to the Town's transferring monies from its garbage fund to its general operating budget. Connors said the practice, which was identified by the state as illegal and inappropriate, and which was the result of major lawsuits from commercial carters, continues today. McVeety and Gordon objected to that description, and said the Town only transfers money when appropriate, such as when an individual who is paid from the general budget, does work for the garbage district. "At those times these transfers are perfectly acceptable," said McVeety, adding that the Town has, since being cited by the state, improved its record keeping ensuring that these types of transfers are fully documented. Fitch's report addressed this issue as well, stating, "It is notable that in 2006, the Town did not budget for excess interfund transfers from the residential and commercial garbage funds to the general fund. The transfer method has been historically questioned…and the Town has reclassified these expenses and will only collect documented expenses for administrative costs performed for those funds." After serving on the board for a year, Gordon said she is "finding her niche," and that she brings her "military" mentality to the board. "I tend to sit back, observe and learn," she said. "I then make decisions based on what is right and appropriate for the public." "This is a woman who left the comfort of her home and her family to serve her country in war time," said Bellone. "I admire that tremendously and she is becoming an excellent public official." As he walks door to door, Connors said that what he admires is the strength of the people he meets, and their hopes and dreams for themselves, their families and their community. "I met a man who is a Viet Nam veteran and he told me that he was afraid to speak out against the gang violence in his neighborhood," said Connors. "Before we can address anything, we have to address this issue because it is a growing problem not only in Babylon but elsewhere." If elected, Connors said he would establish an antigang violence task force, similar to a program in Brooklyn that has been very effective. McVeety chaired an anti-graffiti committee and worked with the Suffolk County Police Department in changing Town code to address the issue, which she said is tied to gang activity. "We also work through the Town's youth groups in addressing this issue, which is a problem not only here but throughout the country," she said. Babylon has a population of 211,792 according to the 2000 census. In August 2006, its unemployment rate was 4.4 percent, slightly higher than the county's but below the state and national rate of 4.5 and 4.6 percent respectively. Its wealth levels were moderate according to the 2005 census, with per capita income at 86 percent that of Suffolk's 101 percent of the state's and 114 of the national average.
The polls are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
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