Election Guide 2023: Meet the candidates for County Legislator
Election Day is Nov. 7. All this week, meet the candidates.
Suffolk County Legislator | 2 years, 6-term LIMIT | SALARY: $107,051
Responsibilities: The County Legislature sets county policies and enacts all local legislation; adopts all capital, operating and college budgets; authorizes the issuance of debt and sets fee schedules for certain county services. The winner of this race will represent the county’s 1st Legislative District.
Catherine A. Kent
Party: Democratic, Working Families
Hamlet: Baiting Hollow
Occupation: Former Riverhead Town Council member and retired Riverhead teacher
Ms. Kent grew up and raised her family on the East End of Long Island. Her parents taught in local school districts, and her family was very active in their church and community. She attended Riverhead schools, and earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Central Methodist University and a master’s in liberal studies from SUNY Stony Brook. Upon graduation, she went into education and taught in Riverhead schools for 33 years. During her tenure, she formed the district’s health and safety committee and advocated in Albany for more state aid for the district. After retiring in 2016, she continued to use her vast teaching experience by volunteering at a school in Haiti.
In 2018, Ms. Kent was elected to the Riverhead Town Board. She formed the Riverhead Downtown Revitalization Committee, which secured funding for a long-range plan for the downtown area. She hired more police officers and the spearheaded the installation of surveillance cameras downtown to deter crime.
Pitch: Ms. Kent said she will continue to champion families by advocating for responsible fiscal policies that hold the line on taxes and keep the cost of living manageable for all residents. She will support law enforcement and first responders and take bold environmental action to address climate change through a collaborative regional plan to keep drinking water safe, and the local bays, waterways and air clean for generations to come. Ms. Kent is committed to safeguarding farmland and preserving open spaces, protecting workers’ rights and reducing the number of cars on East End roads by working with the MTA and all levels of government to get more trains to the area.
In her words: “Throughout my years of public service, I have learned the importance of collaboration and inclusivity. My focus on engaging the community and bringing everyone to the table has been at the heart of my approach to effective governance. I’m excited to continue this journey and would be honored to serve as the next Suffolk County Legislator.”
Catherine L. Stark
Party: Republican, Conservative
Hamlet: Riverhead
Occupation: Chief of staff/senior legislative aide
Ms. Stark is a lifelong Riverhead resident and a fifth-generation native of the 1st Legislative District. Her great-great-grandfather, John C. Stark, lived in Southold from 1840 until the 1860s, when he started a farm in Baiting Hollow. Ms. Stark is has three grown children and two grandchildren.
Ms. Stark volunteers with the Riverhead Lions Club and other community groups. Ms. Stark began working for Suffolk County in 1996, first for the Clerk of the Legislature and then for Penny Wells LaValle, director of real property tax services. Former county executive Bob Gaffney later hired her to work for his community services and intergovernmental relations divisions. For seven years, she served as chief of staff for former Suffolk County legislator Jay Schneiderman, who later became Southampton Town Supervisor. Since 2013 she has done the same for Legislator Al Krupski.
She has been a liaison to the Suffolk County Department of Public Works for over 20 years, and worked closely with mayors, trustees, supervisors, council members and commissioners throughout the region — regardless of party affiliation.
Pitch: As Legislator Krupski’s chief of staff for the last decade, Ms. Stark focused on preserving the North Fork’s beauty and way of life. She worked to preserve 935.8 acres of farmland and 889.93 acres of open space. She helped the 1st District by writing legislation aimed at supporting the EPCAL walking trail, developed bus shelter protocols, accepted the County Climate Action Plan, improved wastewater treatment at Suffolk County parks and enacted a local law to expand public notification of sewage contamination. Ms. Stark said she will hit the ground running and that the relationships she has developed over the last two decades are incredibly important in creating a smooth-running office and attending to the needs of the constituents of the 1st Legislative District.
In her words: “I believe in a common sense way of governance. The willingness to reach across the aisle and work together for the betterment of our county. I will put my heart and soul into making Suffolk County a safer and more affordable place to live, not leave.”
