Races for County Executive and County Legislature
Much of the attention on Shelter Island elections has been on the races for Town Supervisor and members of the Town Board. But Islanders will also be casting ballots for Suffolk County Executive and the District 1 County legislative seat.
County Executive Steve Bellone has been term-limited, resulting in Democrat Dave Calone facing off with Brookhaven Supervisor Ed Romaine, a Republican.
Prior to his years in Brookhaven, Mr. Romaine was a member of the Suffolk County Legislature where, according to his campaign staff, as a fiscal conservative, he was a sponsor of the Suffolk County tax cap. His campaign website says he established a record as a fighter for the environment by authoring Suffolk’s first Clean Water Act and helped preserve countless acres of open space across eastern Brookhaven, the North Fork and Shelter Island. He sponsored the first local law to regulate helicopter traffic and established the LIPA Oversight Commission.
Earlier in his political career, he was elected Suffolk County Clerk, a position he held for 16 years.
Mr. Calone has been a lawyer and businessmen. He was a federal prosecutor at the Department of Justice and a state special assistant attorney general.
As an entrepreneur, according to his campaign staff, he was credited by Inc. Magazine with a business that expanded health care access and affordability.
Mr. Calone, according to his campaign, initiated the Long Island Emerging Technologies Fund to help launch 10 job-creating companies based on technology; founding national board chairman of Patriot Boot Camp that’s now part of Disabled American Veterans (DAV); and co-chairman of the National Veterans Entrepreneurship Council.
He was chairman of the Suffolk County Planning Commission for eight years and chairman of the county’s Superstorm Review Task Force, helping to prepare the county for the dangers of climate change.
County Legislature
Islanders have been represented in the County Legislature by Bridget Fleming, but this year, it’s a new ballgame. Due to redistricting, the Island is now aligned with the North Fork, not the South Fork in the County Legislature.
Seeking to serve the district in the County Legislature are Democrat Catherine Kent and Republican Catherine Stark.
Ms. Stark began working for Suffolk County in 1996, initially as Clerk of the Legislature and then for the Director of Real Property Tax Services. After five years, she was hired by former County Executive Bob Gaffney, a Republican. He assigned her to his Community Services and Intergovernmental Relations divisions.
In the past 20 years, she has worked as chief of staff for former County Legislator Jay Schneiderman, a Democrat, before he became the current Southampton Town Supervisor. Since 2013, Ms. Stark has had the same role for Democratic Legislator Al Krupski, now running for Southold Town Supervisor.
