Candidate Spotlight: Linda Vavricka & Sarah Smith

 

Linda Vavricka sat down with The Messenger for a one-on-one interview. 

Q: What is your professional background and how does it prepare you for the role of Town Clerk? 

Linda Vavricka: I have thirteen years of experience working for the State Senate. I worked for former Senator Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley), former Senator Tom Croci (R-Sayville), former Senator Phil Boyle (R-Bay Shore), and current Senator Alexis Weik (R-Sayville). For Senator Weik, I have worked as an event coordinator and have done constituent service work. Events coordination involves multi-tasking and contacting organizations, and ensuring events are done properly, effectively, efficiently. Constituent service work primarily entails handling issues in a timely fashion.  

I wanted to run for Town Clerk because I’ve worked for different people within the Islip government, and handling event coordination and constituent service is essentially the combination of responsibilities a town clerk is faced with. I know how to deal with people. I’m a lifelong resident of Islip and I want to give back to the community. I know I would make a positive difference.  

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

Linda Vavricka: I’m a hard worker. Any manager I’ve worked under has said they want more employees like me, meeting set standards, and going above and beyond expectations. My work ethic has always been highly spoken of. My jobs and volunteer services also aren’t rewards-based. I work Mondays at Racine’s Salon in Islip by appointment and I work with the  Suffolk County Womens’ Association to end food insecurity. I’m also a single mother, so scheduling and making time for it all is challenging, but I manage it.  

I’m very proud of being a great mother and simultaneously maintaining a great work ethic and volunteering. 

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

Linda Vavricka: I think our biggest issues are security, transparency and efficiency. I want to work on accessibility for disabled people to get into the town. I want to continue the great work of the clerk’s office.  

Q: What is your top priority if elected Town Clerk? 

Linda Vavricka: My top priority is ensuring our town’s cyber-security. The clerk’s office takes care of birth certificates, death certificates, marriage licenses, and personal information. The office is also supposed to protect all that information. A day-one plan is sitting with the IT department and seeing what their security now entails, how we can find improvements, and how we keep security as tight as possible. 

Regarding the Suffolk County hack last year, the IT team for Islip pulled the cord to protect themselves, which I commend them for. As far as Suffolk, I will work to ensure that a hack like that does not happen during my time as clerk.  

I would also like to prioritize accessibility, especially in the form of digitizing documents. People should be able to access their various certificates and licenses online.  

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

Linda Vavricka: My favorite quote is by Mahatma Gandhi: “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” 

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

Linda Vavricka: I love Heckscher State Park and the Bayard Cutting Arboretum. My daughter and I love taking walks and going on bike rides and we love the café at the Arboretum. 

Smith has been endorsed by Run for Something, a group that exclusively helps Millennials and Gen-Z-aged candidates with progressive values run for political office a first or second time. According to their endorsements on their website:  

“Sarah is a Licensed Macro Social Worker with a passion for social justice and a strong background in policy and community organizing. With extensive experience in assisting veterans, individuals, and families facing housing and mental health-related challenges, Sarah is known for her ability to connect with diverse groups and build coalitions. In her new role in the clerk’s office, Sarah will utilize her social work background to bridge gaps and engage the community in local government. She is particularly committed to uplifting senior and underrepresented populations. Sarah will prioritize the safety of resident records while diligently tending to FOILs, ensuring a smooth and efficient process.” 

According to the Suffolk County Democrats’ website: 

“Sarah Smith is a Licensed Macro Social Worker, who calls Ronkonkoma home, and spent her upbringing and adult life by caretaking for her parents and her younger sister. Sarah graduated from Connetquot High School before earning her MSW from Stony Brook University, and passing the NYS Social Work licensing exam. Sarah has spent her career helping her community. Specializing in serving the veteran population in particular, managing a homeless shelter, and helping families in mental health, substance use, and housing-related crises, Sarah has excelled in helping our marginalized community members survive and thrive. More recently, Sarah acted as Communications Director for a Suffolk County Legislator, and feels that our elected positions need more candidates who value a person-centered approach – particularly those acting at a local level. Sarah is particularly interested in increasing and improving programs for senior citizens – the folks who have spent their lives in our great Town and made it what it is, should not be left behind now. Sarah hopes to serve the Town of Islip as Town Clerk in order to help the Islip community thrive, with resources and programs designed to strengthen the Town’s community one individual at a time.” 

Smith has been adding national overtones to a local race for a non-political position by contrasting her candidacy with the tenure of Kim Davis, a former county clerk for Rowan County, Kentucky, who in 2015 gained international attention for defying federal U.S. Court Order to issue marriage licenses to homosexual couples. 

The Messenger’s forecast for Islip Town Clerk: Safe Republican.