In discussing the major issues facing the City of Glen Cove today, mayoral candidate Robert Benazzi stated that the "pluses far outweigh the minuses." He stated it is important that the city remain vibrant. The issues he believes that are of most concern are the city's deficit and taxes. "When I look at the problems, the one answer, in the short term as well as the long term, is what my opponents call an issue, but what I call the solution...Glen Cove's waterfront development."

There's a lot more to do, he acknowledged, citing illegal housing, a control of spending in the city, and a change of attitude in city hall from "can't do to can do." But the place to start, or in Mr. Benazzi's opinion, to continue, is the waterfront revitalization. "After 14 years, we have enough information to allow us to move forward and develop a final plan," he said.

Regarding the waterfront, Mr. Benazzi has vowed that "Within the first 90 days of my taking office, I will meet with all the experts: architects, developers, engineers and city agencies, to formulate and present a plan to the residents that is aesthetically acceptable and ecologically sound and will be a successful development for both the city and the developer." His proposal, he said, would ultimately open up the waterfront to all the citizens of Glen Cove and be something all citizens can be proud of.

If the development is done properly, Mr. Benazzi believes, the waterfront will attract visitors to Glen Cove, not just to the waterfront, but to the shops and restaurants in the downtown business district by increasing the residential base and visitor base. An increase in the tax base, he said, will foster business growth and improve business citywide. He said that when the city conceived the MW3 zoning change, one provision was that services offered at the waterfront would complement, not conflict with, established downtown businesses. For example, he said, no movie theater would be built in the waterfront district as there is one in town and "If you want seafood, it will be at the waterfront; if you want Italian food, there are many places in Glen Cove to eat."

Mr. Benazzi stated that "Just because we build it does not mean they will come," but said the city must provide opportunities to entice people to come. "I have always said that the success of the waterfront depends on the success of the ferry, and vice versa. I stated this when I was on the planning board and now as a mayoral candidate," he said. He went on to explain how the two are so closely aligned and can fail without each other.

As proposed now, he said, many people feel the ferry terminal building is too large, and that the service will cater only to wealthy commuters, a small number of residents. Without the waterfront development, he said, that might be true, but if the waterfront becomes a destination, or attraction, the ferry operation will bring new commutation options. And the more commuters there are, the more the price would come down. The reinstitution of ferry service, said Mr. Benazzi, not only offers the opportunity to take residents to their place of work in Manhattan, but gives workers the ability to "reverse commute" to Glen Cove. "And," he said, "that leads me to what I consider our golden secret opportunity."

Historically, he said, Glen Cove is similar to other waterfront cities as it is a community founded on the fact that the city had access to a waterway and as such, was a lumber supplier to Manhattan. However, with the advent of highways, railways and our nation's dependence on foreign goods, "our nation's larger waterfront cities such as Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Cleveland lost their industrial base and in time, turned to successful residential and commercial development of their waterfronts."

"Our golden opportunity lies in our location," Mr. Benazzi explained. The Securities and Exchange Commission allows investment firms to build data centers, or disaster recovery business interruption centers, as long as the facilities are more than 25 miles from the primary facility. As Glen Cove lies more than 25 miles from the main financial district in Manhattan, he said, the city could build such sites at our waterfront or in surrounding areas. "In my professional career," said Mr. Benazzi, "I have been involved in the design of many of these facilities in New Jersey and Westchester." The function of such buildings is to give companies a site at which to backup and keep files and information, which could be lost in the event of anything from a loss of power at the primary site to a major disaster in Manhattan. Construction of such sites is not a financial burden, he said, but transporting employees to the facilities is always the most difficult aspect. "The fact that we are within an hour and 15 minutes of Manhattan via auto, rail or bus is a positive, but with the addition of the ferry," said Mr. Benazzi, "we would be within 40 minutes of Manhattan, 10 minutes from Westchester and within 30 minutes of Connecticut and points east on Long Island."

These facilities, continued Mr. Benazzi, would have minimal impact on the city's infrastructure, such as water and sewer, and traffic, while generating huge tax revenues to the city. For day-to-day business, the buildings house few employees, but could accommodate an entire staff, laptops in hand, if needed. In the years since 2001, more and more companies have taken to construction of such sites, and, he said, Glen Cove fits the bill. "All we need is one or two such facilities to make a big dent in the ability of the city to meet its fiscal operating costs and increase the tax base," said Mr. Benazzi.

Mr. Benazzi would like to see more active participation by citizens, including the youth. "I want not only to provide services for our young people, but provide them with the opportunity to give back to their community, giving them a pride of ownership." He would like to retain the small town feel and atmosphere while providing the big city services that Glen Cove already has.

Another thing Mr. Benazzi intends to do is "to put in a government that is favorably fair as opposed to fairly favorable." He would call for enforcement of laws currently on the books to "cure the illegal housing problem."

While he has never held political office, Mr. Benazzi served on the Glen Cove Planning Board under former Mayor and current County Executive Thomas R. Suozzi, and was chairman during Mayor Mary Ann Holzkamp's administration. "I stand on my record," Mr. Benazzi said. "I would like to think that overall, what I tried to do was be as fair to the applicants as to the city and try to live within the zoning ordinances handed to me." He cited specifically the Avalon, acknowledging that many people criticize it, but, he said, it is well maintained, has what he considers nice plantings around the building and serves as a fine entry into the City of Glen Cove. "Are there problems? Yes," Mr. Benazzi said, "In hindsight, maybe it is too close to the road," however, he continued, "It brought more people to the downtown and a second Avalon into the downtown. And the medical building down the road was extensively refurbished" after the Avalon was built.

Mr. Benazzi remarked that the fact that a major stock exchange-listed company such as AvalonBay believed in an investment in Glen Cove "proves that it's time for citizens of Glen Cove to have the same faith in our city as AvalonBay did."

Mr. Benazzi's favorite aspect of the city is that it's really a small town, even though the population exceeds 2,600. He feels that Glen Cove has everything to offer: a hospital, beaches, parks, its own police department, nature preserves and the water. "Not many people have all that," he said. However, he expressed concern that people get accustomed to certain things, and don't see the necessity for change.

Mr. Benazzi is a mechanical engineer, a senior partner at Jaros, Baum and Bolles, a 250-person consulting engineering firm specializing in design of mechanical and electrical systems for commercial, institutional and residential buildings.

He has lived in Glen Cove for 34 years, has been married to wife Alice for 37 years, has eight children and eight grandchildren. Mr. Benazzi serves as a trustee at St. Patrick's and a member of its finance committee. He has been head of St. Pat's restoration committee, as well as coach and referee in its CYO program.

In a word, Mr. Benazzi believes what makes him the best candidate for mayor is experience. But, he added, he does not want to be mayor to be popular; he wants to be a mayor that gets the job done. "I'll either be a good mayor or a good golfer. I was planning on retiring anyway. The timing is right."

Mr. Benazzi is running on the Glen Cove First Party line.

The first answer mayoral candidate Reginald Spinello directed to the question of major issues facing the City of Glen Cove was waterfront. "All the candidates want to develop the waterfront, and we all have a different view of how to do it." Calling the revitalization "the biggest issue the city has ever faced," Mr. Spinello said it must be done properly, but the city cannot do that with the current deficit. "We need money," he said, "and that's a sign of weakness." He stated that it has affected the way some of the decisions have been made by the city to be "dealing from behind the eight ball."

Mr. Spinello referenced the "original vision for a beautiful waterfront" but believes that "somewhere the project has gone from a seaside waterfront community to a condo development." And, he said, that's where he has a problem. "Two 16-story buildings and 860 units...it's too much," he said, while acknowledging "that no units would be too few" and a smaller number of units and smaller number of stories could work.

Mr. Spinello believes the waterfront should make Glen Cove a destination, with a large cultural component, retail, recreation and a marine atmosphere. "A condo project does not attract visitors," he said. The opportunity of a day at a waterfront community will attract more people to Glen Cove, and that type of development "is more important than condos" and will provide a continuing revenue stream.

Citing Port Jefferson as an example of his vision, Mr. Spinello envisions a Glen Cove with people coming to spend a day at the waterfront, "having lunch here, sitting in a park there, shopping, visiting a museum."

Mr. Spinello said that nothing about the current plan says nautical, but seems more to be a "gated community without the gates," with a disconnect to the downtown, as opposed to a synergy with it.

The environmental issue is also of utmost importance to Mr. Spinello, who said, "No shovel will be in the ground until the land is environmentally safe - we have to be smart enough to sit down."

Mr. Spinello said he would like to see more details of the proposal, "not just square footage." Having spoken with the developers, he said he understands what a developer has to do, but he would like to explain to Glen Isle what Glen Cove really wants. "There's not enough talk about recreational and cultural components," which, he said, is what he would like to see. He is confident that a satisfactory plan can be developed, he said, but directed his thoughts back to 860 residential units at the waterfront.

There are a number of other residential developments in the works in Glen Cove, Mr. Spinello said, many locations of which are more appropriate than the waterfront. He believes there are certain areas in the city better suited for high-density residency, those near public transportation and where the infrastructure is in place. "We need to be smart about where we build," he said. And he would like to see details of how the city's master plan is shaping up. "We haven't seen any results or plans," he said, "and that's not making residents happy."

Mr. Spinello stated that illegal housing has contributed to the "Queensification" of Glen Cove. The solution, he said, is simple: code enforcement...with no selective enforcement. "Enforcement needs a universal, fair plan," something that is good for the city and good for landlords, along with accountability and the same playing field for everyone. "People say there are favorite sons in the city, with certain people getting a free pass," he said. He intends to change the cycle that has continued while one party has been in office for 14 years, he said. "No more sweetheart deals."

Mr. Spinello said that he will bring leadership back to the city, something that has been lacking. "I'm a decision maker," he said. "I retired at a young age from a successful business career. I know what it is to lead and to make tough decisions." Mr. Spinello cited the fact that he has been working since the age of 14, helping to support his family after the death of his father, and knows the benefits of hard work. This election is not a popularity contest, he said, but a question of who can get Glen Cove back on track and headed in the right direction. Additionally, Mr Spinello said, he is not a politician and has no agenda, other than to help the city improve and have "a fresh start. There is nothing broke that I can't fix," he declared.

He is critical of unsuccessful endeavors of the past decade or so. "Avalon, Village Square...they tried, but were not successful," he said, adding that now citizens are paying for those mistakes. "It's time to say enough is enough," he stated.

Mr. Spinello also said his business experience is an asset in solving Glen Cove's fiscal situation before the city is "bonded into oblivion." He believes the city needs good fiscal management and accountability in the mayor's office, with a reasonable budget that does not "overstate revenue and understate expenses" and an increase in revenues to manage finances, cutting back on services "only as a last resort." He is not in favor of "one shot revenues," especially to pay recurring expenses, nor does he support the selling off of city assets. On the subject of the proposed sale of Glen Cove's sewer treatment facility, Mr. Spinello said he cannot state an opinion until "I see the details of the deal," but said, "My first instinct is that [the facility] has been underutilized" and he expressed concern that the city might not benefit as it should from the consolidation. "I hate to once again see residents having to pay for past mistakes," he stated. "It's not fair to mortgage our future to pay for the past."

Mr. Spinello stated his primary reason for running for mayor at this time is that "I want the job and I feel I am capable of handling it. The city needs to be run like a business, not politically. It has been run politically for too long." Mr. Spinello, while he has no political experience, did chair the St. Rocco's feast for two years and is proud of his accomplishments in running it in a business-like fashion. Acknowledging that "the feast is not the city," he likened it to a microcosm of business, as success comes from getting all parties involved to work together to generate a profit for all. "In one year, I changed the footprint, got rid of the carny and circus atmosphere and brought it back to what it should be...keeping the best of the old and adding something new." He added that people can put ingrained ideas aside when they see that "a vision is right."

Asked about his favorite aspect of the City of Glen Cove, Mr. Spinello said, "I'd have to start with the people...we're such a beautiful mix. I've always said that all roads lead to Glen Cove," and, he added, they often lead back after residents have gone off to school or military service, or just gone to live in a new community. "Our parents and parents' parents built Glen Cove and we have to show the new generation what the city is all about....without burdening them with excessive taxes. Everyone who wants to deserves a life here, " he said. Mr. Spinello remarked on the city's "beautiful parks and beaches" and the fact that he can still order a #2 at Henry's and "it's the same as it always was."

Mr. Spinello is retired from the pharmaceutical and related industries, in which he had worked for 30 years in positions including CEO, and has been owner of "an assortment of businesses."

A lifelong Glen Cove resident, he and his wife Coleen have one daughter, Serena, a graduate student at C.W. Post and an aspiring poet. In addition to volunteering at the St. Rocco feast, Mr. Spinello also volunteers at the Church's food pantry, which his wife runs. He currently serves as treasurer of the YMCA of Glen Cove board of managers.

Mr. Spinello believes that his leadership abilities and business experience make him the best candidate for mayor of Glen Cove. "I am not doing this for political gain. My agenda is Glen Cove and its people. I appreciate my life and my opportunity to give back to the community." He added that his ability to listen, to utilize the pool of talent around him and to identify and coordinate solutions to problems add to his qualifications and added, "I want Glen Cove to be the Glen Cove I knew, as well as a new destination. This can be accomplished with the right leadership...me."

Mr. Spinello is running on the Republican, Independence and Conservative Party lines.

Mayor Ralph V. Suozzi is running for his second term as mayor of Glen Cove. He refers to the major issues facing the city today as "a big umbrella" that encompasses the waterfront, taxes and deficit, and quality of life. "No matter where you are in history, expenses constantly go up," he said, and a budget is always a guessing game, due to rising costs of products and unanticipated emergencies.

Whether debt is long or short term, it needs to be repaid, the mayor said, adding that he is working under a deficit inherited from former administrations. One solution on which he has focused is to "put a cap on borrowing. We must borrow as much as we need," he said, but "borrow less than we pay back each year," as that results in a lowering of the amount to be paid back each year. He referenced the unanimous resolution passed by the city council which allowed him to go to the state Senate and Assembly to seek support from Senator Carl Marcellino and Assemblyman Chuck Lavine, resulting in the city receiving deficit financing from the state. He also believes that consolidation of the city's sewer treatment plant with Nassau County will be good for the city, as "out-of-town hookups," which could bring revenue into the city, "are very unpredictable and unreliable."

Mayor Suozzi called the waterfront development project "the big gorilla in the room." The mayor acknowledged that nobody wants "16-story buildings or a gated community, " and he believes that 860 residential units are too many and will bring excessive traffic to the city. The mayor said he worries about a proposal that, if put in position and not done properly, could "cause a full parade of horribles to befall the city." It all sounds very nice, remarked Mayor Suozzi, but "it's all pie in the sky. If it were easy, it would all be made public."

On one side, he said, "things have been very active behind the scenes and out of public view...signing contracts, zoning changes, IDA amendments... but only a small group knew about it." Those involved, he said, offer all the promise of the waterfront without due diligence.

"The waterfront is important and vast resources have gone into the cleanup. A great effort was made in the '90s [by then-Mayor Tom Suozzi] to get government agencies all in one room and get Washington to come together as a team instead of as individual entities," he said. He hopes the same can be done in Glen Cove now, "no matter who's filling the seats" and looks to get rid of "siloed thinking." "We need individuals who understand governmental structure and can navigate through to where they want to get," he said.

Mayor Suozzi has not always seen eye-to-eye with Glen Isle. He said the developers have "dodged my questions, threatened me, given me bad information and told me I wouldn't understand" much of their work. In addition, the mayor said, they have "spun their PR to make it seem I won't meet with them." The mayor quipped that he knows more about what George Washington said in 1776 than what the developers of the waterfront have put on official record with the community of Glen Cove. The waterfront will be developed, said Mayor Suozzi, and added he is confident an agreement can be reached to develop it "the right way, not right away." He said he is paying attention to the needs of Glen Cove, keeping a close relationship with Congressman Peter King, as well as Senators Hillary Clinton and Chuck Schumer, and is working with a lobbying group in Washington. He expounded on the relationship by citing the fact that during his administration, Glen Cove gave the federal government $350,000 to complete the dredging of the creek when the government ran out of money for the project, in order to avoid their stopping and restarting. This saved money for both the federal and city governments, he said.

Despite comments to the contrary, said Mayor Suozzi, the moratorium he put in place soon after taking office was not meant to hinder the waterfront development, but was meant to benefit all of Glen Cove and confront the city's quality of life issues. The proposed ferry operation, he said, is a city project, which can be built correctly with the city's own ferry coalition, NIMTECH, and Urbitran on board the project.

Quality of life, said Mayor Suozzi, "is everything to me" and he said he has done things big and small to ensure the best for his city. He has held neighborhood town meetings to hear residents' concerns and handled problems "I can control...roads, sidewalks, curbs, dead trees and street signs, for example," either with funds from grants or allotted capital. He has put fire hydrants on Mansion Drive, done maintenance at the tennis courts, City Stadium, and in the downtown. "If I'm called, I'm there," he said, adding that he loves "making differences every day."

The mayor said he would like to see more scrutiny of development in the city, as well as more attention to finances and quality of life from neighborhood to neighborhood. He believes in "seeing the big picture but working on the details" and is open to bringing in experts as consultants or teachers where necessary to improve the workings of the city.

Mayor Suozzi called Glen Cove "a great community," citing some of his favorite aspects as both the history and topography. He is currently in talks with Glen Cove High School teacher Melanie Arfman to bring a History Day, focusing on Glen Cove, into the school. He worries that the character of the city can be easily lost, and wants to preserve historic buildings, such as Konica, for future generations.

A lifelong resident of Glen Cove, Mayor Suozzi is married to the former Jane Beckhard and the couple has two young sons, Alex and Carter. The mayor has been a volunteer with the St. Rocco's feast for 28 years, is on the executive committee of the Morgan Park Summer Music Festival, is a member of the North Shore Historical Museum, the Knights of Columbus, Sons of Italy and now that he has a child in the Glen Cove schools, a member of the PTA. He is also a former 10-year volunteer for the Glen Cove Fire Department.

Mayor Suozzi said that while he was approached to run by both the Democratic and Republican Parties, he chose to run on the Glen Cove Voters line with his own slate, after which the Democrats offered a cross-endorsement. However, the mayor stated, "I am and remain independent. I have told everyone that nothing will change the way I govern."

Mayor Suozzi is proud of his independence, which, he believes, played a large part in his election two years ago and is a main reason he should be re-elected to the office of mayor. "I stood up for the city two years ago...the city needs to stand behind me now."

Mayor Suozzi is running on the Glen Cove Voters and Democratic Party lines.