Oyster Bay Town Supervisor Candidates: Meet James Altadonna Jr.

MASSAPEQUA PARK, NY — Voters in the Town of Oyster Bay will head to the polls Nov. 5 to cast their ballots for supervisor, council, clerk and receiver of taxes.

In the race for supervisor, incumbent Republican Joseph Saladino seeks a second two-year term against Democratic challenger James Altadonna Jr.

The town board, legislative body for the Town of Oyster Bay, is comprised of the supervisor and six council members. The board is responsible for operating the town, and does so by passing local laws, ordinances and resolutions.

Unincorporated areas in the town include Bethpage, East Norwich, Glen Head, parts of Glenwood Landing, Greenvale, Hicksville, Jericho, Locust Valley, Massapequa, North Massapequa, Old Bethpage, Oyster Bay, Plainview, Seaford, South Farmingdale, Syosset and Woodbury.

Incorporated villages in the town include Bayville, Brookville, Centre Island, Cove Neck, Farmingdale, Lattingtown, Laurel Hollow, Massapequa Park, Matinecock, Mill Neck, Muttontown, Old Brookville, Old Westbury, Oyster Bay Cove, Roslyn Harbor, Sea Cliff, Upper Brookville and Westbury.

Patch reached out to both candidates via email and/or Facebook to hear where they stand on important issues affecting the community.

Here are their responses.

James Altadonna Jr.

• Age (as of Sept. 1): 59
• Town of residence: Massapequa Park
• Position sought: Oyster Bay Town Supervisor
• Party affiliation: Republican running on Democratic line.
• Family: Three children.
• Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? James Altadonna III — TOB bay constable (start date 2008).
• Education: College graduate.
• Occupation: Oyster Bay town clerk
• Previous or current elected or appointed office: Mayor of Massapequa Park from 2001-13; Oyster Bay town clerk 2013 to present.
• Campaign Website: JamesAltadonna.com

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

I believe the most pressing issue facing our wonderful Town of Oyster Bay is balancing the budget. For too long it has been put off by the people at the top. By borrowing against future revenue we essentially create a flood gate that will burst open, leaving the town in monetary crisis. Just last week the state comptroller’s office listed our town as under "significant financial stress." To ensure that we don’t fall deeper into this crisis we need to reign in spending starting with excessive hiring and raises. Additionally, we need to stop the practice of paying for the legal fees for local officials. This will save money and add to the transparency of local government officials, that the constituents deserve. If you have done nothing wrong, there should be no problem working with local law enforcement to ensure our laws and community policies are upheld.

See also: Oyster Bay Town Supervisor Candidates: Meet Joseph Saladino

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

I am running to ensure that every voter in the Town of Oyster Bay has a voice. It is vital that we have equal representation in our local governments. Throughout my career I have put the needs of my constituents first. During my time as mayor of Massapequa Park, and continuing through to my time as town clerk, I have instituted an open door policy. I welcome all constituents to bring forth any issues, concerns and suggestions that they may have. As supervisor of Oyster Bay, I will work tirelessly to address all constituents concerns to the utmost ability of the office. Compare this with the current supervisor — he has silenced me at town board meetings, leaves the room when facing any sort of criticism, and "submitted" a town budget only to pull it back, so it couldn’t be reviewed. To see him, you have to go through three levels of security. When I am supervisor, you won’t need to jump through hoops to meet with the town supervisor.

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

I am running to prevent the wasteful spending and mismanagement of taxpayer dollars. No one likes their hard-earned money solely going to the projects of political friends and patronage appointees. As town clerk, I have witnessed first hand the wasteful spending of taxpayer dollars and the same playbook that led to the downfall of the previous administrations. The current supervisor spends millions of dollars on mailers to get his name out there, whereas a quarterly newsletter would suffice at a fraction of the cost. People are being bombarded with pseudo political mailers on the taxpayer dime. These funds could be better used to fix our roads and improve our town infrastructure.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

We need to put an end to excessive hiring and raises for patronage positions in our local government and change the way this system operates. The raises are going to a select few appointed officials to the detriment of union workers. Eighty-seven employees received $753,000 in raises while our union workers were forced to agree to a 2 percent pay cut to avoid extensive layoffs. We need to ensure that our community is thriving for all of our members and that town employees are not being left behind to pay for the raises for a select few.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I was mayor of Massapequa in 2012 when we were hit by the heartbreaking effects of Superstorm Sandy. I have seen first-hand the devastation that could happen to our community. In the aftermath I was on the ground fighting for those affected by the storm. I worked for bipartisan support on town, county, state and federal levels to bring relief funds to our constituents. It was an unfortunate test that required leadership to get things done. I was rewarded by YES Community Counseling for my actions taken to tackle the devastation of the storm. As supervisor, I will fight for our communities and get things done no matter the obstacle, large or small.

The best advice ever shared with me was ...

Live an honorable life.

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

This is an election that should not be defined by blue or red, or any other political affiliation. As a Republican town clerk running on the Democratic ticket, I am making it a priority to work with whoever is willing to fight for the people of the Town of Oyster Bay. For too long people at the top have been playing politics with taxpayer money. As your supervisor I will work tirelessly for the constituents of this district, as I have as mayor of Massapequa and town clerk of Oyster Bay. We need to stand up and say "NO — we are not okay with the status quo." We need to be better than we have been and I promise that I will do whatever it takes to fight for you.