Candidate: Councilman Thomas Lohmann
Residence: Smithtown
Office: Smithtown Council
First Elected: Appointed in 2018, elected in 2019
Party Endorsements: Republican, Conservative
Notable Endorsements (including, but not limited to): New York City Detectives Endowment Association, Suffolk County Police Superior Officers Association, Suffolk PBA, LI-Federation of Labor, LiUNA, Mason Tenders District Council
After being appointed to the Council in 2018 and finishing in first place in a four-way race in 2019, Councilman Tom Lohmann is running for a second term.
Candidate: Maria Scheuring
Residence: Smithtown
Office Sought: Smithtown Council
Prior Elected Experience: None
Party Endorsements: Democratic, Working Families
Notable Endorsements: Eleanor’s Legacy, CWA 1109
After a failed run for Supervisor in 2021, Maria Scheuring is gearing up for a spot on the Town Council.
Councilman Thomas Lohmann and Maria Schuering sat down with The Messenger for one-on-one interviews.
Q: What is your professional background and how does it equip you for the role of Town Council?
Councilman Thomas Lohmann: I served for twenty years as a member of the NYPD, where I received Commendations for Excellent and Meritorious actions. I dedicated my final months of service with the NYPD as a 9/11 first responder, working search, rescue, and recovery efforts at ground zero before retiring in 2002. I then served as an investigator for the Suffolk County D.A.’s Insurance Crimes Bureau and worked (part-time) as a Head of the Harbor Police Officer. I then retired from the D.A.’s office to serve the people of Smithtown as a full-time Town Councilman.
During my tenure as Town Councilman, I served as the government liaison, working in lockstep with various agencies from the School Board of Education, local law enforcement (SCPD) to federal and state agencies. It was a priority to bridge the gap between the various branches in public service. We’ve accomplished quite a bit in a short period of time, and I respectfully believe that this country and the current economic climate are far too unstable to allow for a learning curve at a local level of government.
Maria Scheuring: I am originally from the Bronx, but have been in Smithtown since 2006. I have been an attorney for twenty-five years. I have a Master’s Degree and a Doctorate in Philosophy, and I graduated from Fordham Law School in 1998. I worked for the Bronx District Attorney’s office. I’ve had my own law practice for twenty years. I’ve been teaching Ethics courses at St. Joseph’s University in Patchogue for the last five years.My areas of legal focus are family law, guardianship law, music law (copyrights), and I work divorce cases.
I have been the chairperson of the Alive After Five festivals for three years. This is the best experience I have that would lend to a political office. We see 35,000 attendees a week, with over 200 vendors, and thirty restaurants and bars participating. I have a budget and I connect with police and public safety, I go to security meetings with EMS and I consult with the mayor. I basically single-handedly do this huge undertaking every year, and this year was the most successful.
Q: What would you say is your best or proudest professional accomplishment?
Councilman Thomas Lohmann: Delivering on promises made for the people of Smithtown. Before I took office, I asked the community “What do you want to see your local government deliver on” and I continue to ask this question to every resident I meet. We’ve restored over 80% of the Town’s parks and beaches, athletic fields, and playgrounds, we’ve expanded our parks system, and preserved some of the most environmentally sensitive open space. We’ve broken ground on three revitalization initiatives in the downtown areas and sewer/wastewater infrastructure when everyone told us it would never happen. We’ve strengthened the Town finances, added accessibility and better services for people living with disabilities, created the first-of-its-kind STEM partnership with the School Districts, added recreational programming for children and young adults living with special needs, and the list goes on.
Maria Scheuring: I’ve been able to sustain a law practice for twenty years, with different fields. It was an honor to be nominated as an attorney for Best of Long Island. I recently took a course through SUNY on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice (DEI-SJ), so I’m educated on how to teach it, and not in a biased way. I’ve given some lectures at Fordham based on that.
Alive After Five is probably harder than these Town Council jobs and I’m talking and dealing with everyone involved in the town. I have a very good relationship with all of them. I wish I could do that in Smithtown. We could really use some inspiration from Patchogue.
Q: What do you think is the most defining political issue facing Smithtown today?
Councilman Thomas Lohmann: Cost of living. This economy is out of control and it’s only going to get worse when the Brookhaven landfill closes or if the County allows NYC to bus migrants here. These are major financial burdens that would be impossible for the good residents of Smithtown to handle. That is why we need strong leadership that will work around the clock to fight the city in court, if necessary, to plan smarter fiscally and in a proactive fashion, and to identify new revenue streams for the town without burdening the taxpayers.
The rail yard is not under Town control. The property is not owned by the town. It’s privately-owned land in the industrial area of Kings Park. The owner has a federal application currently pending with the Surface Transportation Board which the town has no jurisdiction over, except to add our views in writing (which we have) that we object to the collection/transport of any toxic materials on the property.
In 2018, our salaries were $77,496. In 2023, our salaries were $85,596, which is a 1.98% increase over the course of five years. It’s a cost-of-living raise spanned over five years. Our opponents are combining the years to say we received a 10% raise, which is divisive and deeply misleading. How do you attract new talent if the salaries do not permit newcomers to afford a home in the town they’re elected to represent?
Maria Scheuring: Transparency. The agendas are so blank with no information.
The town still has the Kings Park Rail Yard, and once it’s given to the federal government, we won’t have any say. They could be using the rail yard for anything. That, to me, is extremely disturbing. The Council is supposed to have open meetings and debates and that hasn’t happened.
I have a real problem with the fact that Smithtown hasn’t done more to get grants. We should try to get free money from everywhere we possibly can. We need to be creative about how we improve the downtowns. St. James looks great, but the main part of Smithtown is Smithtown; it’s an eyesore. We need to fine landlords for leaving storefronts empty. There needs to be repercussions for leaving our streets looking bad.
How long does it take to fix the stairs at Callahan’s Beach?
We have three high schools and we have a lot of teenagers, but we have nothing here for them; literally nothing. I had proposed a roller-skating rink at the bowling alley. As a parent of three teenagers, they don’t know what to do all weekend. That makes me nervous because when teenagers have nothing to do, that’s when trouble starts. The median age is 46 in Smithtown, the majority of the people are families with kids.
Q: What is your top priority if you win this election?
Councilman Thomas Lohmann: We plan on completing the park system work, cutting ribbons on the complete downtown revitalization of Kings Park and Smithtown, connecting a sewer/wastewater infrastructure system on all three business districts, and completing new open space park projects like the former Oasis Gentlemen’s Club and Paul T. Given Park.
We also have plans to ramp up our Grant program to help alleviate the costs of maintenance for roads, infrastructure, town buildings & grounds. We’d also like to look at creating paid guest passes for non-residents to access the parks, attend our music concerts, and events.
We also want to work on securing the remaining $60 Million needed to complete a Wastewater Management connection and Downtown Revitalization effort for Main Street and adding more services and improved access for seniors and people living with disabilities.
Maria Scheuring : Opening up the meetings. We need to start following the Open Meetings Law. Being a lawyer on the Town Council would be extremely helpful.
Q: What’s your favorite quote, motto, or work ethic?
Councilman Thomas Lohmann: I always say, “facts before you act,” but I believe Mark Twain said it more eloquently: “The truth has no defense against a fool determined to believe a lie.” Society tends to act based on the first piece of news or impression we read about in the papers, see on social media or watch on television. It can be toxic, not just for the individual but the people around them also.
Maria Scheuring: I’m a big fan of Marcus Aurelius’ Stoic philosophy. We might not be able to change the circumstances we’re in, but we can change something about our reactions to those circumstances.
Q: How do you like to connect with and enjoy your community?
Councilman Thomas Lohmann: I belong to several organizations which meet regularly, the Rotary Club, Chamber of Commerce, Fraternal Order of Police, Knights of Columbus, and others. In the summer, I’m always at the Town’s concert series. I try to attend every new local shop’s grand opening event, and I’m always at Town Hall during the work week. If I’m not at one of the many places listed above, you can find me at Mannino’s eating meatballs at the countertop. I love my community, my family, and this Town, and I rarely leave the borders unless I’m taking in a Broadway show with my talented wife. Serving this community for the last five years has been a gift, one I hope to receive for another four years.
Maria Scheuring: I have three children, my one son is very politically involved. I’m also in the Smithtown Friends of Music, we meet a couple times a month.
I go to the gym every day and I play guitar. I also go out to see a lot of bands. I also like the City and the museums.
I would love a place to go on the weekends here, but we really have nothing in Smithtown.
The Messenger thanks Councilman Thomas Lohmann and Maria Scheuring for taking time to sit down with us for this candidate spotlight.
The Messenger’s forecast for Smithtown Council: Safe Republican
Note that race ratings are not endorsements of either candidate. It is just a handicap of which direction in which we think the race leans.
