Election 2015: Meet Your Riverhead Town Candidates
Town Supervisor, two-year term
Candidates:
Anthony Coates
Hamlet: Riverhead
Occupation: Investment adviser
Party lines: Democrat, Working Families, Women’s Equality
About him: Mr. Coates, 54, was worked in the financial sector for firms such as Morgan Stanley, Smith Barney and Fleet Financial, where he says he was “specializing in municipal finance.” A former newspaper publisher in Brookhaven, he later moved to Riverhead and has been active in past local political campaigns. He ran for a Town Board seat in 2013 as a Republican, losing a primary race to both Councilwoman Jodi Giglio and Councilman John Dunleavy.
His pitch: Mr. Coates said his number one priority is getting the town on a firm “financial footing that has eluded [the Town Board] for the past six years.” He frequently cited Riverhead’s debt and bond rating while on the campaign trail, saying he would like to see fewer tax abatements from the town’s Industrial Development Agency and wants to erect a solar farm at the Enterprise Park at Calverton.
In his words: “You are going to get a 5 percent tax increase this year — the highest of any town in the county. In the real world, if someone sent you that résumé, you wouldn’t even interview them for the job.”
Jodi Giglio
Hamlet: Baiting Hollow
Occupation: Owner, Bennett Enterprises
Party lines: Republican, Independence, Reform
About her: Ms. Giglio, 47, has lived in Riverhead for nearly 20 years. The Wantagh native grew up in New York and California. After losing her first husband at the age of 27, she later remarried and moved to Riverhead, where she launched Bennett Enterprises, which assists landowners with residential and commercial applications. She lives with her husband and children.
Her pitch: Elected to the Town Board in 2009 and re-elected in 2013, Ms. Giglio has focused her run for supervisor on improving town finances and code enforcement, saying she will crack down on quality of life issues that “negatively affect our property values.” She said she will also “work toward transparency on every committee and board who make decisions on town matters.”
In her words: “I want to put a business mentality into government. People keep telling me I can’t do that. I can do that.”
Sean Walter
Hamlet: Wading River
Occupation: Supervisor, attorney
Party lines: Conservative
About him: Mr. Walter, 52, grew up in Suffolk County and has lived in Wading River since 1992. He is seeking a fourth two-year term and has previously served as deputy town attorney for Riverhead Town. He maintains a private law practice in Wading River and is also a former chairman of the town Conservative Party. The incumbent did not receive Republican backing for re-election at the party’s nominating convention this past spring and lost a primary race to Councilwoman Jodi Giglio. He lives with his wife and children.
His pitch: Since entering office, Mr. Walter’s campaign pitch each time around has been essentially the same, focusing on three different areas: downtown, town finances and the town-owned Enterprise Park at Calverton. He doesn’t believe work is finished in any of the areas, though says he’s “happy to be part of the great things we’ve done so far.”
In his words: “I couldn’t fix all the problems overnight. I wish I could have.”