Meet The Candidates: Catherine Kent For Riverhead Supervisor

RIVERHEAD, NY — Suffolk County residents will be heading to the polls Tuesday to elect local representatives and make their voices heard.

Residents will weigh in on the race to represent one of the 18 legislative districts in Suffolk County, vote for Suffolk County District Attorney and Sheriff — and choose their local town elected officials.

In advance of the election, Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaign — and the results will be published as candidate profiles in the days leading up to the vote.

Incumbent Town Councilwoman Catherine Kent is running against incumbent Yvette Aguiar for the Riverhead town supervisor's seat. Kent is running on the Democratic and Working Families lines; Aguiar is running on the Republican and Conservative lines.

Following is Patch's full Q&A with Catherine Kent:

<b> Name <b>

Catherine Kent

<b>Age (as of Election Day)</b>

65

<b>Position Sought</b>

Riverhead Town Supervisor

<b>Party Affiliation</b>

Democrat

<b>Family</b>

I have three adult children, Travis, Daniel and Emma .

<b>Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?</b>

no

<b>Education</b>

Riverhead High School, Bachelor of Science in education from Central Methodist University, Master of liberal studies from Stony Brook University

<b>Occupation</b>

Riverhead teacher for 33 years, Riverhead Town Councilperson 4 years

<b>Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office</b>

Riverhead Town Councilperson

<b>Campaign website</b>

catherineforriverhead.com

<b>Why are you seeking elective office?</b>

As a lifelong resident of Riverhead, over 30-year teacher and fou- year councilwoman, I have the knowledge and expertise to run the town. As a longtime advocate of Riverhead, I would be proud to serve as supervisor.

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

The most important issue before Riverhead Town is safety. We need to enhance our Riverhead Police Department. Despite significant economic development and growth in the last three decades and the resultant increase in policing demands, the Riverhead Police Department has not been expanded to meet the needs of our growing and changing town. Public safety is the cornerstone of everything we are trying to accomplish in Riverhead. The continued rejuvenation and redevelopment of our downtown and the new Town Square are reliant on attracting new residents to Riverhead. People need to feel safe. I would fill all existing vacancies on the Riverhead Police Department, as soon as possible. I would work with the police chief and the PBA to determine the proper number of officers needed for a town of Riverhead's size, including the cumulative impacts of all completed and proposed high-density buildings downtown. I would seek assistance from Suffolk County to address homelessness and ensure that all future development in Riverhead assists in funding the Riverhead Police Department, so that the burden does not fall on the taxpayers.

<b>What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?</b>

As an elected official, I never forget that I work for the people of Riverhead. My opponent received 72 percent of her campaign donations from outside influences and developers with open and pending applications before the town. My opponent has fast-tracked projects for developers who made large donations to her political campaign. I look at every project with a careful lens, asking the hard questions to ensure that the project benefits our community. Outsiders should not be influencing our town. I understand how vital community input is to good government. I would open the lines of communication with the community by reinstating the zoom option for town board meetings and adding evening meetings, so that residents have the ability to weigh in on issues and topics of concern.

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

Our community has spoken out strongly with concerns about massive apartment buildings in the downtown area. They have valid concerns about the impacts such buildings have on our schools, roads, police, fire departments, traffic, water, and on the overall character of our downtown. Progress must be steered with a balanced approach, so that development does not outpace infrastructure. I look at every project with a careful lens. My opponent has fast-tracked projects for friends who made large donations to her political campaign. Another pressing issue is that Riverhead is in contract to sell 1643 acres at EPCAL to Triple Five. Triple Five has failed to show us financial documents, a proper development plan or a timeline for the project. The current supervisor continues to move forward with this bad deal. We should walk away from the worst land deal in the northeast and put the property on the market again.

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

When Covid hit, the current supervisor built a plywood wall in the lobby of Town Hall to keep residents out. She put a police officer at the door. This sent the wrong message to our community. I would have immediately had a press conference with representatives from Peconic Bay Medical Center to disseminate needed information about the virus and resources for our community. I would have continued giving out information with regular updates. Meetings were completely shut down for three months. I would have had meetings via Zoom. This was a time when our residents needed to see their leaders working for them and protecting them.

<b>Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.</b>

1. The sale of 1,643 acres at EPCAL is a major issue. The town is in contract to sell this major parcel of land at the EPCAL property for $40 million. The purchaser has not shown the town that they have the financial wherewithal to build out the property. They have also not shown the town a proper development plan or given a timeline for the buildout. There was a clause in the contract that the town could walk away from the deal at 365 days. The town needs to walk away from the bad deal and market it again. The sale included a bonus 1000 acres that should be removed from the sale and made into a passive park.

2. Riverhead has a large amount of development going on in our downtown and the transit-oriented area. Progress is a positive thing, but we must steer this development properly so that it does not overburden our infrastructure or lose sight of our unique character and historical heritage.

3. As a lifelong resident, I know the value of our agricultural community in Riverhead. It is the beauty of the surrounding farms and great produce that draw us here. We must support our farming community so that they can continue to farm in our town for years to come.

<b>What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?</b>

I am proud of my work as a councilperson. During my tenure as councilperson, I formed the downtown revitalization committee. I worked with code enforcement, the fire marshals and the town attorneys to get landlords to clean up dilapidated buildings downtown. I spearheaded the Pattern Book, a community-driven blueprint for the future development of downtown and the Town Square. I secured funding to complete the Veterans Memorial Trail at EPCAL, added pickleball courts, brought water to Veterans Park dog park. I created Riverhead's first environmental committee and collaborated with Peconic Green Growth and the Riverhead School District on a water conservation project to reduce water use on school properties. I worked with the anti-litter committee to organize three townwide litter pickups, growing the number of volunteers from 20 to 200. During the Covid pandemic, I helped stock the shelves of food pantries throughout the town and collaborated with Island Harvest on a food distribution that served over 500 families. I introduced new legislation including an apprenticeship program and the blighted properties tax surcharge.

<b>The best advice ever shared with me was:</b>

The best advice I received was to be true to who I am.

<b>What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?</b>

As a lifelong resident of Riverhead, teacher for over 30 years, and town council member, I have a firm grasp of our town and its issues. My work in town government is more than a job, it is a passion. I have made it my quest to ensure that the voices of the residents are heard. I have never forgotten that I was elected to work for the people. I have a lifetime of loyalty and respect for the people and future of Riverhead. I pledge to hire more police officers to patrol and serve our growing community, to lower taxes without gutting town services, to enforce town codes to reduce blighted and unsafe housing, to continue revitalizing downtown and to protect our farms.