Lesko, Forte Speak Out on Taxes, Budget Cuts

Brookhaven Town supervisor candidate Cecile Forte announced her disagreement with a variety of incumbent ’s decisions at a meet the candidates event on Wednesday at the Medford Fire Deparment.

Sponsored by the Medford Taxpayers Civic Association, the event allowed for the audience to ask both candidates questions.

Forte, a Republican who has been a member of the Town's Planning Council since 2002 and was appointed chair in 2005, said she is pushing for the Town Board to reconsider what she called backdoor tax levies.

“This was not a good time to do it, and I think the Board will be sympathetic,” she said. “This is something that’s wrong and shouldn’t be in place, especially at a time when your taxes are supposed to be frozen.”

Lesko, a Democrat, explained that fees were adjusted after remaining rigid for years, and that the process is simple.

“It comes down to this philosophical difference- I don’t own a boat. Why should I subsidize a boat owner who wants to be at a marina?” Lesko said. “They should pay a fee for the use of those services, and they should pay the fees accordingly.”

The issues of budget cuts and matching grants were also approached. Lesko said that sacrifices were implemented in order to make ends meet.

“This fiscal crisis is all about making hard decisions,” he said. “We’re spreading it out, we’re not cutting all the funding- we’re just reducing the matches so they can maintain the County budget.”

According to Forte, there should be more order and research in deciding what is reduced, but job and business creation will help the Town thrive financially.

“We need to streamline our business proposals, and we need to see to it that permits are given as soon as possible,” she said. “We have the resources, and it takes hard work and conviction, but we can make it happen and change peoples’ lives.”