Government and Business Leaders Mingle at COC Breakfast

With election day closing in, area representatives met face-to-face with Huntington business community constituents at the Government Reports Breakfast at Crest Hollow Country Club Thursday.

Sponsored by the , the unique roundtable format provided attendees, seated at tables, with a chance at intimate discussion with elected officials.

The sixth-annual event "puts a face to a name" and enables business people to ask pointed questions and "demand some direct answers from people that influence a lot of what we all do everyday," said Huntington Chamber of Commerce President Robert Bontempi.

Representatives from local, state and national governmental branches provided attendees with an opportunity to celebrate the successes on Long Island and Huntington, the business corridor and waterfront — and to discuss critical issues of importance to the community this election season. 

Babylon Town Supervisor Steve Bellone and Suffolk County Treasurer Angie Carpenter, each running for Suffolk County executive, spoke to the audience and to Patch.

"Huntington is a thriving business center and we've got to make sure it stays that way," said Republican candidate Angie Carpenter, who stressed retention and buying locally.

"As important as it is to get businesses in, it's more important to keep the businesses that are here, here," she said. "When I walked in this morning I was just blown away when I saw the banner that said buy locally because that is very clearly my component in my Solutions For Suffolk."

Carpenter said engagement from stakeholders and the business community is important for success in Huntington. Government has to work with businesses to find out if it is getting in the way, according to Carpenter.

Babylon Town Supervisor Steve Bellone said Huntington, like the rest of the county, is in need of economic growth.

"We need to create jobs and grow this economy and stop the exodus of young people to the other regions of the country," said Bellone, who described his plan to make Suffolk County and "economic powerhouse."

"If we are going to grow our economy in a way that will keep young people here in a sustainable way, we have to do the hard work, the planning and implementation like we have done in the Town of Babylon," said Bellone, a Democrat.

"I've put forth plans called Innovate Suffolk that will create the next research triangle in America right here in Suffolk County," said Bellone. "Instead of our people going down to North Carolina, they can take the high-paying jobs that we are creating right here."

Bellone said his Route 110 corridor plan is a "game changer."

"With my Connect Long Island Plan, people will be able to commute out from the city or from the East and be able to get to the 110 corridor job without ever having to get into an automobile," said Bellone. "Anybody who drives on the LIE know that you are not going to grow this economy by just adding more cars to the road."

Invited guests included: Long Island Director for Sen. Chuck Schumer, Kyle Strober; Deputy Chief of Staff for Rep. Steve Israel, Tracie Holmberg; Deputy Chief of Staff for Regional Director for Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Scott Maretta; state Sen. Carl L. Marcellino; state Sen. John Flanagan; state Assemblyman Andrew Raia; state Assemblyman James Conte; county legislators Steven Stern, Jon Cooper; Lou D’Amaro; Huntington Town Supervisor Frank Petrone and Town Board members Mark Cuthbertson, Susan A. Berland, Glenda Jackson and Mark Mayoka; Town Clerk Jo-Ann Raia; Town Receiver of Taxes Ester Bivona; and Town Superintendent of Highways William Naughton.