Candidate Profile: Rob Calarco For Suffolk County Legislature

PATCHOGUE VILLAGE, NY — Election Day is fast approaching, and Patch is giving you a look at the candidates on the Nov. 2 ballot.

In the 7th Suffolk County Legislative District race, Democratic incumbent Legis. Rob Calarco faces Republican challenger, Dominick Thorne.

Calarco discusses why he should be re-elected. He answers Patch's Q&As below.

Rob Calarco

Age (as of Election Day)

42

Position Sought

Suffolk County Legislator

Party Affiliation

Democrat

Family

I am married to my wife, Laura, and we have three children ages nine, six, and four.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

I have a Masters in Public Administration from Stony Brook University, which I earned in 2005, and a B.A. in Political Science from Dowling College earned in 2002.

Occupation

I work as a legislator full-time.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

none

Campaign website

robcalarco.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

I have the distinct honor of serving for the last 10 years as the Legislator and am running for my 6th and final term. During this time we have turned around the county's finances, launched important initiatives to improve water quality, grew our economy while undertaking important projects for the 7th LD. While I can point to a number of accomplishments, there are projects like sewers for Patchogue, building Roe Park in Blue Point, and others that I want to complete.

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

Water quality remains the most important issue for our region. We are about to embark on the largest expansion of sewers since the Southwest sewer district. This includes new sewer construction in the Carls, Patchogue, and Forge River watersheds. Additionally, we have to create a program to provide grant funds to cover the cost of the installation of advanced treatment waster systems for individual homes to reduce nitrogen pollution in areas where sewers are not an option.

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

I have a distinct advantage of experience and accomplishments. This has not only served my district well, but the whole county. I have been elected twice, by a large bipartisan vote to serve as the presiding officer. This is due to my ability to work with everyone to build consensus to move important issues forward for the residents of Suffolk County.

How do you think local officials performed in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?

County government is focused on the health, safety, and welfare of our residents. That could not be more prominent than in a global health pandemic. We were the front lines from the shutdowns, supplying PPE to hospitals and first responders, getting masks out to residents, setting up testing and vaccination sites, and more. We continue to do contact tracing and other health measures to protect the public and find safe ways to reopen our economy.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

As a legislator, we have turned around our finances achieving historic surplus levels, while not raising our general fund property taxes. I sponsored the law to be the first county in New York State to sue the pharmaceutical companies for their role in the opioid crisis resulting in settlements of upward of $150 million to put toward treatment and prevention. In addition, I am committed to ensuring that our law enforcement professionals have the resources necessary to keep Suffolk one of the safest counties in the nation.

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

I can point to several accomplishments that have made me proud — from saving the Carnegie Library and remediating Canaan Lake to building a bandshell in Medford, and more in our district. Financially, we turned around the county budget from a $500 million budget deficit 10 years ago to a $500 million budget surplus. It was my legislation that brought the lawsuit against the pharmaceutical companies resulting in over a $150 million for treatment and prevention. Additionally, I have the confidence of my colleagues having been twice-elected to serve as the presiding officer by a large bipartisan vote.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Leadership is about relationships. If you want to accomplish anything, especially as a legislator you need to take the time to understand the points of view and priorities of the people you are working with so you can find ways to reach common ground.