Oyster Bay Town Clerk Candidates: Meet Richard LaMarca

OYSTER BAY, 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 town clerk, Rachel Klein and Richard LaMarca are vying to fill James Altadonna Jr.'s seat. Altadonna is running for supervisor on the Democratic ticket against Republican incumbent Joseph Saladino.

The clerk's office maintains all town records and keeps track of key numbers. The office, elected every two years, also issues licenses and permits, including shellfish, peddlers, parking, secondhand dealers, waste removal, hunting, fishing and dog, as well as birth certificates, marriage licenses and death transcripts. Passports can also be applied for through this office.

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.

Richard LaMarca

• Age (as of Sept. 1): 55
• Town of residence: Oyster Bay
• Position sought: Town Clerk
• Party affiliation: Republican, conservative and Independence.
• Family: I am the father of five wonderful children and reside with his wife, high school-aged son, and twin boy-and-girl toddlers.
• Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? My brother passed a competitive civil service exam. He is an IT manager.
• Education: A graduate of Villanova University, I also earned an MBA from St. John’s University.
• Occupation: For nearly 25 years, I worked at a Fortune 500 company in both domestic and international markets. As a vice president of the company, I developed a successful track record of cost-efficiency by holding employees accountable for budgets, strategic planning and financial reporting. I will bring that same approach to government, where I pledge to protect taxpayers by holding town departments accountable for your tax dollars.
  
  Since 2012, I have served as director of labor-management relations for the Town of Oyster Bay where I handle the day-to-day relations between management and the town’s unionized workforce. To hold employees accountable to taxpayers, I coordinate testimony, witnesses and litigation for employee disciplinary hearings. I also supervise the administration of workers’ compensation and disability policies, as well as the health, dental, vision, retirement, deferred compensation, flexible spending, insurances and other programs for all employees.

• Previous or current elected or appointed office: None.
• 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.

High taxes is the most pressing issue for all of Long Island. As your next town clerk, I will work to cut taxpayer costs. I will make services more efficient and eliminate waste. I will also create smartphone applications to make permit applications easier for residents.

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

I have a proven record of building relationships in both the community and workforce, holding organizations and employees accountable for finances, and identifying talent to ensure organizations succeed. I will bring these attributes, along with my private sector work experience, to the office of the town clerk in Oyster Bay.

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

The current town clerk is not seeking reelection. That said, he has fallen behind the times. I will move the office forward into the 21st century with more online services that make doing business with the town easier and more cost-effective for taxpayers.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

I have a private sector mindset. I will seek savings and efficiencies from every corner of government. I will protect your wallet from wasteful spending and cut red tape in the office of the town clerk. I will make it easier for you to conduct business with the town by posting more materials online to make your life easier.

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

For nearly 25 years, I worked at a Fortune 500 company in both domestic and international markets. As a vice president of the company, I developed a successful track record of cost-efficiency by holding employees accountable for budgets, strategic planning and financial reporting. I will bring that same approach to government, where I pledge to protect taxpayers by holding town departments accountable for your tax dollars.

Since 2012, I have served as director of labor-management relations for the Town of Oyster Bay where I handle the day-to-day relations between management and the town’s unionized workforce. To hold employees accountable to taxpayers, I coordinate testimony, witnesses and litigation for employee disciplinary hearings. I also supervise the administration of workers’ compensation and disability policies, as well as the health, dental, vision, retirement, deferred compensation, flexible spending, insurances and other programs for all employees. I will use this experience to govern.

The best advice ever shared with me was ...

Always serve the needs of others, and your needs will be fulfilled.

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

I believe in giving back to the community I love by serving as president of the Civic Association, a director on the Oyster Bay-East Norwich Chamber of Commerce, representative on the Nassau County Police Commissioner’s Community Council, and as an active participant on the Main Street Association, Historical Society, Parent-Teacher-Student Association Council Board, Railroad Museum, Athletic Booster Club, Mike Bruschini Memorial Scholarship Committee, Italian American Citizen's Club and as a youth athletics coach.