When weighing the pros and cons of who should fill the vacant Town Clerk position in Brookhaven, voters can rest assured knowing that two passionate and qualified candidates sit before them in Republican Kevin Lavalle and Democrat Lisa Di Santo.
Being an administrative position, it is experience and familiarity with the position that takes precedence over whatever policy preferences the candidates have toward many areas. And while both candidates have impressive resumes and involvement in their communities, the professional and governmental experience of Councilman Kevin Lavalle compels The Messenger to fully endorse him for the position of Town Clerk.
Professionally, Lavalle has worked with Clerks’ Offices throughout the state as the owner of a title agency. He knows what to expect from both the clientele side and, through his work on the town board, what to expect from the governmental side. We predict that this will allow him to identify deficiencies and keep the office modern, as his legislative career has permitted him to do already.
Lavalle has supported a robust legislative agenda that has migrated town records to a secure Microsoft cloud service that protects sensitive data and guards against potential cyber threats— a prudent decision, especially when taking into account the Suffolk Cyberattack. He has also voted to save taxpayers millions of dollars through inter-municipal agreements with various villages and libraries to digitize and securely store their records. One such program at the Mastic Beach Library is permitting greater access to records for residents.
Now, Lavalle has his eyes set on the reduction of processing time and making the services of the office of clerk more accessible. With his track record, we expect that, if elected, he will be able to deliver immensely for his constituents.
The only negative to his election: he would no longer represent his district. However, success should not be a barrier to his overall advancement.
