Oyster Bay Town Supervisor Candidates: Meet Joseph Saladino

MASSAPEQUA, 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 of the Town of Oyster Bay, is comprised of the supervisor and six council members. The board is responsible for operating the town 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.

Joseph Saladino

• Age (as of Sept. 1): 58
• Town of residence: Massapequa
• Position sought: Oyster Bay Town Supervisor
• Party affiliation: Republican, conservative and Independence.
• Family: No response.
• Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? Suffolk County District Court Judge James Saladino is my brother.
• Education: I attended Tulane University and hold a master's degree from the New York Institute of Technology, where I graduated Summa Cum Laude.
• Occupation: I have served as Oyster Bay Town Supervisor since 2017. Since taking office, I have cut taxes (putting nearly $4 million back in residents pockets), reduced debt, repaved roads and hired an inspector general — who worked for the FBI and CIA — to help me protect your wallet.
• Previous or current elected or appointed office: Prior to becoming town supervisor, I served in the New York State Assembly for six terms where I was one of the original sponsors of — and approved — New York State’s Property Tax Cap and STAR Rebate Checks. I was also a leading advocate for Megan’s Law, which requires law enforcement to make information available to the public regarding registered sex offenders.

• Campaign Website: JosephSaladino.com

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

Residents are most concerned about affordability and high taxes. While Town of Oyster Bay taxes only make up 17 percent of your tax bill, I am doing everything in my power to protect your wallet. As town supervisor, I cut property taxes and restricted new spending. As a result, nearly $4 million will be back in the pockets of residents rather than in the coffers of government. As a state assemblyman, I voted to put the State Property Tax Cap into law to protect homeowners. I also voted to deliver STAR Rebate Checks to homeowners and approved income tax cuts, delivering the State's lowest middle-class tax rates in more than 70 years.

See also: Oyster Bay Town Supervisor Candidates: Meet James Altadonna Jr.

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

There’s a stark difference in the race for Oyster Bay town supervisor. I NEVER raised your property taxes. Instead, I cut property taxes, and nearly $4 million will be back in your pockets rather than in government coffers. I also voted to put the New York State Property Tax Cap into law — making it harder for local governments to raise your taxes. My opponent voted to raise property taxes by 53 percent. In fact, he hiked taxes 11 times. He also voted 4 times to bust the property tax cap.

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

My opponent sat silent as town clerk for nearly four years as the prior administration hiked taxes, let the town’s finances sink into junk bond status and let corruption run wild. I took office in 2017 with a reform plan that turned things around. First, I restricted new spending and closed deficits. I then eliminated millions in wasteful spending and cut property taxes (the town’s first property tax cut in decades). I advanced payments to reduce our debt, and now debt will be down $160 million on my watch. These actions resulted in upgrades from two independent Wall Street credit rating agencies. Our town no longer has a deficit, we are back to investment grade, and we have a budget surplus instead of a deficit. My administration hired an inspector — who worked previously with the FBI and CIA — to protect your wallet. We also hired a former federal prosecutor as town attorney. He has guided us in cancelling contracts with unscrupulous contractors. Together, we will continue to do everything possible to protect your wallet.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

My main focus is on delivering an honest government that protects your wallet. I will continue to hold the line on taxes, restrict new spending, reduce debt, enhance ethics and repave roadways. There is much more to accomplish in the Town of Oyster Bay, and I intend to do just that. A strong advocate for the environment and safe drinking water, I have led the fight for the complete hydraulic containment and remediation of the Grumman-Navy plume. As a state assemblyman, I authored and passed milestone legislation to begin the state’s process of cleaning up the largest and most highly-concentrated plume of dangerous chemicals in a sole source aquifer anywhere in the nation. This legislation paved the way for the $150 million remediation initiative recently launched by New York State. As town supervisor, I jump-started the environmental cleanup of a ball field at Bethpage Community Park. I am committed to protecting our town’s natural resources and drinking water, including its miles of pristine waterways, open space and wildlife refuges on both the North and South Shores.

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

When taking office as town supervisor in 2017, I soon learned that I inherited a town with a $24 million deficit. In two short years, I fully eliminated that deficit by paying down debt, cutting waste and restricting the way in which government spends money. I also cut property taxes. As a result, nearly $4 million will be back in the pockets of homeowners rather than in the coffers of government. I advanced interest payments and reduced town debt by a record-breaking $160 million by years-end. As a result of these actions, two independent Wall Street credit rating agencies upgraded our town.

The best advice ever shared with me was ...

Treat others the way you want to be treated. Do right. Do your best. Be respectful. Treat others as you would want them to treat you.

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

I have spent decades serving the community as a volunteer, including as a member of the Lions Club, the Sons of Italy-Columbus Lodge, the Chamber of Commerce, and as a former trustee of the Historical Society. I was inducted into the Massapequa High School Hall of Fame and the Massapequa Mustangs Hall of Fame. I am a 30-year member and past Kiwanis Club president, where I received the distinguished "Kiwanian of the Year" award. I was named an honorary member of the Massapequa Fire Department Companies 4 and 6.