Government

Southold Voters Guide 2014: A closer look at the ballot

Schiliro_Palumbo

New York State Assembly

Incumbent Anthony Palumbo, 44, (R-New Suffolk) is a lawyer who won the 2nd Assembly District seat in a special election last fall, defeating Democrat John McManmon with 57 percent of the vote.

Mr. Palumbo’s legislative efforts led to tax breaks in Southold for first-time homebuyers, who are now exempt from having to pay the Community Preservation Fund tax. He’s also taken a leadership role among Republican assemblymen in slowing down the much-criticized rollout of the Common Core State Standards.

Mr. Palumbo earned a bachelor’s degree in government and law, as well as a law degree, before working with the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office as an assistant district attorney. He eventually became East End trial supervisor before starting a private practice in Mattituck in 2004.

Before being elected to the Assembly, Mr. Palumbo served on the Cutchogue-New Suffolk Library Board of Trustees.

Thomas Schiliro, 62, (D-Manorville) is an officer with the Suffolk County Parks police who’s making his third run for public office. The East Meadow native ran for Assembly in Nassau County in the early 1980s and for Brookhaven Town Board in 2009.

Throughout the campaign, Mr. Schiliro continued to pledge his support for the stalled Women’s Equality Act, even its divisive 10th component pertaining to abortion rights. He also supports an increase in the minimum wage.

After earning degrees in political science, Mr. Schiliro earned a master’s degree in secondary education. He went on to teach at Sachem High School before working at SUNY/Farmingdale and later at Hicksville High School, teaching law courses.

In 1995, he continued following the law when he became a member of the Suffolk County Parks Police Department, from which he intends to retire at the end of this year.