Glen Cove City Council Candidates: Meet Stephen Suozzi

GLEN COVE, NY — Glen Cove voters will head to the polls Nov. 5 to cast their ballots for mayor and city council. Patch reached out to all the candidates via email and/or Facebook to hear where they stand on important issues affecting the community.

Here are the responses for those who participated. The answers have been lightly edited for clarity.

Stephen Suozzi

• Age (as of Sept. 1): 29
• Town of residence: Glen Cove
• Position sought: Glen Cove City Council
• Party affiliation: Running as an independent on the Glen Cove Voters party line.
• Family: Married to PoLin So-Suozzi
• Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? Currently I have no relatives who work for the City of Glen Cove. I have a cousin who is a U.S. Congressman.
• Education: Graduate of Glen Cove High School - class of 2008; bachelor of accountancy - George Washington University - class of 2012; master of accountancy - George Washington University - Class of 2013
• Occupation: Audit manager and certified public accountant with six years of auditing experience.
• Previous or current elected or appointed office: Not previously or currently elected. Not currently appointed to any office.
• Campaign Website: SuozziForCouncil.com

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The single most pressing issue facing our city is affordability, especially as it relates to the younger workforce. The ability of our community to retain and attract young people to raise families here and support our local economy for generations to come is paramount to our future success. If elected to city council I will advocate for a comprehensive plan to address affordable housing concerns and I will also advocate for the lobbying of the MTA to add more express train options to the Oyster Bay Line, especially since the LIRR is pivotal in this effort of attracting and retaining people in Glen Cove.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

The critical difference between myself and others seeking this post is my professional experience as a CPA and auditor. I have over six years of auditing experience, including three years auditing an executive department of the federal government. Another critical difference is I'm running as an independent candidate on the Glen Cove Voters party line because I believe that we need to work together to effectively tackle the city’s challenges.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)?

As I talk with residents, I have heard questions regarding ongoing developments in our city. If elected to the city council, I will strive to work with my fellow members to keep residents informed and address questions or concerns they may have. Communication with residents is important in strengthening our government's transparency.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

1) Fiscal responsibility and oversight: I will leverage my unique experience as a CPA to examine the city's budget and finances to cut costs for taxpayers.

2) Transportation: This issue is vital to our city's ability to retain and attract future residents. If elected to city council, I would advocate for our county, state, and federal representatives to lobby the MTA to earmark future capital spending to electrify the Oyster Bay line or add additional express train options.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?Through my years of experience in the professional services industry as an audit manager, I have gained technical accounting knowledge and understand how to listen to different opinions, gather and analyze information, and work with a team to make decisions.The best advice ever shared with me was ...

Listen before you speak.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

The issues at hand in this and future elections —development, taxes, and quality of life — are issues that all Glen Cove residents care about. When it comes to these complex challenges, I will work hard to understand and address them in ways that benefit our entire community.