Candidate Spotlight: Anthony Figliola & Steve Englebright

Anthony Figliola gained county-wide name recognition in last summer’s primary for New York’s First Congressional District. After essentially tying Michelle Bond for second in the GOP primary, Figliola is looking to parlay that name recognition into the most competitive Legislative District on the ballot this year: long-Democratic-held District Five. 

Anthony Figliola sat down with The Messenger for a one-on-one-interview. 

Q: What is your professional background and how does it equip you for the Legislature? 

Anthony Figliola: My background is economic development. I work with companies who look to expand their operations and help identify incentives and capital. I run a government relations practice, so I work with businesses, not-for-profits, and local governments who have issues with the state government. I have an understanding of how both the private and public sectors work individually and how they work together. 

I am an executive vice president of a company called Empire Government Strategies. I’ve worked with corporations as big as Canon – I was on the team that kept Canon on Long Island because we secured $103 million in incentives that created and retained over 5,000 jobs here. I was part of a small team that we created ourselves made up of attorneys, accountants, and even former Congressman Peter King (R-Seaford), and we – for free – helped our clients and businesses try to understand and navigate the height of COVID. We were able to have King funnel information to then-Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin’s office to tell him what was and wasn’t working.  

Small businesses are the backbone of Suffolk County and our country and I want to bring that experience to the Legislature. I’ve had and run a few small businesses, including my wife’s gourmet cookie company she started as a side-gig to her job as a full time Registered Nurse (RN). 

I worked for the Town of Brookhaven for three years, first in economic development and then as Deputy Chief of Staff, which was a Deputy Supervisor position.  

Q: What would you say is your best or proudest accomplishment in your professional career? 

Anthony Figliola: Frank Lowe Rubber & Gasket Company was looking to move down South. We were able to help keep them here and they had over 100 employees. They spent $10 million on a new facility in Yaphank. The workers were so happy that they got to keep their jobs and not have to move to a new state. It was very rewarding. 

A few years ago, I championed a bill that was unanimously approved by the Assembly and the Senate that strengthened the statute of limitations to allow the taxpayers to sue those who knowingly pollute our drinking water. There was a lawsuit against Dow Chemical in Bethpage filed by the Suffolk County Water Authority that got thrown out on a technicality. Previously, if you found one contaminant, the five-year clock started on every contaminant present, even ones you weren’t looking for or hadn’t found yet. The bill I championed set separate clocks for each individual contaminant. It’s the strongest law in the country regarding the statute of limitations on water pollution. 

For parents of special needs children, I was able to help secure $200,000 in a state grant to expand an Islandia facility that does therapy with horses. The funding was able to expand their programs to Veterans and battered women, which is important to me since my mother was a survivor of domestic violence.  

Q: What do you think is the most important political issue facing Suffolk County today? 

Anthony Figliola: We’re in an economic crisis. I’ve talked with dual-income families in Port Jefferson Station who are paying a second mortgage just to put their kids in daycare. The struggle is real. Groceries have risen 50% in price and people can’t just stick to one supermarket anymore. I’m doing the exact same thing. I’m not running to feather my nest – unlike my opponent, Steve Englebright (D-Setauket), who’s made hundreds of thousands annually off the government dime while making millions in his real estate and oil ventures. 

The state and federal governments have also failed us on our garbage solution. They left it to the local municipalities to find a solution, which I think is terrible. We could explore burning the ash to turn it into energy; we need to protect our environment while also offsetting costs. We need to run our county like a business. 

Q: What are your thoughts on the sewer bills downvoted by the Legislature earlier this summer? 

Anthony Figliola: I am in favor of creating a county-wide sewer district. We also need to create sustainable, revenue-generating sewer facilities. I’ve worked with other municipalities who have technologies that do that. I’ve worked for some clients who are practically “off the grid,” through anaerobic digestion that takes methane and turns it into power. Our trap grease from restaurants can be turned into biofuels and energy to power our facilities. Ideas to utilize fossil fuels to eventually move away from there are being used; so far, no one at the county has discussed items like these. 

Democrats talk about being environmentalists, but they’re being disingenuous. The GOP was kept in the dark by the State Legislature and framed the sewer bills as “take it or leave it.” It’s not a political issue; we all flush the same toilets and drink the same water. These I/A systems work in some places, but not others. A process like this where everyone will get taxed needs to be transparent. The Democrats are not telling you that when you want to sell your house in ten years, the buyer will have to put an I/A system in. They don’t talk about it because it’s not a good talking point. I will absolutely lead a bipartisan charge on this; I believe in sewers where applicable.  

In the bill, only 25% of the money would go to sewers, which is very little when you look at projects like the Forge River sewers. They’re looking at $225 million; the county-wide bill is only around $60 million annually. How could it even scratch the surface? The monies in our current sewer fund need to make more money as well. I want to find a mechanism to make our money make money.  

We need discretionary grants from the state and federal governments – the federal government hasn’t given us sewer money in decades. We need to ease the burden on the taxpayer.  

Q: What is your top priority if you win this election? 

Anthony Figliola: Our county workers need the resources to help our residents, namely in the Department of Health and Social Services. Would you believe that there’s only one person who’s reviewing all sewer applications for businesses and developers, for a county of 1.4 million people? The current administration has left a lot of vacancies. If I want to invest in sewers, wouldn’t you think I’d invest in the manpower to review projects to make it a reality? 

We also have Social Services, namely regarding Thomas Valva, who was murdered by his father. If we’re talking about case overloads, then we need to hire more case workers.  

Q: What’s your favorite quote, motto, or work ethic?  

Anthony Figliola: General George Washington led from the front. His saying was that he “wanted to partake in every inconvenience with his men.” He slept in tents with his soldiers during the brutal winters and war. When you’re an elected official, you’re just a servant for a period of time. I want to continue the legacy of George Washington. 

Q: How do you like to connect with and enjoy your community? 

Anthony Figliola: I have three kids and care tremendously about my community. I have people from both sides of the aisle supporting me. The Fifth District is a beautiful part of Long Island. Not to be biased, but we love Via Pizza in Setauket, they’re a hidden gem. Our kids  love RocketShip Park in Port Jefferson. I’d love to see a nice playground in Setauket because there’s so many young parents there.  

I’m also a boater; our bays and beaches are tremendously important to me. I think we have a gem of a district.  

The Messenger thanks Anthony Figliola for taking time for this interview. 

NOTE: After multiple calls, emails, and texts, former Assemblyman Steve Englebright did not return The Messenger’s request for interview. 

The Messenger’s forecast for Suffolk Legislature’s Fifth District: Leans Republican (Flip) 

About the Fifth District and Our Forecast 

The Fifth District encompasses the most Democratic part of Brookhaven that has trended towards the GOP in recent years. Ed Romaine’s (R-Center Moriches) ability to win significant crossover support here bodes well for him in the County Executive race, but also in terms of down ballot energy for Figliola.  

The Fifth District includes Stony Brook, Setauket, Old Field, East Setauket, Poquott, Port Jefferson, Port Jefferson Station, Terryville, Belle Terre, and parts of Coram and Lake Grove. 

The seat is currently vacant after the resignation of Kara Hahn (D-Setauket). Hahn won by large margins in the first five of her terms, but barely got by on a five-point margin in the red wave year of 2021. 

Last time, the GOP didn’t give the seat a serious try. Now, they have a serious contender, message, and environment to flip the bluest part of Brookhaven red. Furthermore, Englebright’s ethical and possible legal problems make it difficult for us to believe he is in the driver’s seat in this race based purely on partisan lean.