When John Venditto looks back on his two years as supervisor of the Town of Oyster Bay, the Republican incumbent sees a steady responsiveness to community and a list of accomplishments that make him proud.

It is those merits that he feels will get him re-elected in the face of Democrats' criticism about the town's finances, and public backlash against local Republicans for Nassau County's over $100 million budget deficit.

"I think the hallmark of the Venditto administration has been hard work and responsiveness," he said in a recent interview, noting that his constant presence at community functions and tireless problem-solving on behalf of constituents has defined his relationship with the voters. "Our objective throughout has been, through hard work and responsiveness, to make the Town of Oyster Bay the most desirable place to live in the region, if not the nation. And, I think we have been very successful in that endeavor."

According to Venditto, the Town of Oyster Bay's soaring real estate prices show the area's high quality of life, and are proof of the current administration's success.

Recalling major achievements of his term, the candidate cited the institution of an unprecedented program to upgrade all town parks and beaches, the Women of Distinction Awards program, and scholarships for high school seniors, through which he presents an award to one student from every high school in the town. He also asserted that he has won more than $7 million in grants for the municipality, and has rid the town of "adult entertainment blight," an action he began as town attorney just prior to becoming supervisor. He said his administration has enforced zoning regulations to ensure that the town remains primarily composed of single-family homes, and has implemented both a storm management response plan and devices to crack down on speeding.

"There's been a very progressive component to the Venditto administration," the supervisor said. "Just a short time ago, I don't even know that you would find the town government even being involved."

A resident of North Massapequa, Venditto has also been visible in his local community through his work as a sports coach, efforts to improve local playgrounds, and his fight for a full cleanup of the Liberty Industrial hazardous waste site in Farmingdale.

He also touts a strong commitment to the environment, which he said is evident in the town government's control of both shorelines located within its jurisdiction, and its ongoing development of a comprehensive coastline plan. Other environment-friendly programs he pointed to include dune stabilization, TOBAY harbor cleanups, tree planting and recycling.

"I am very confident that our residents understand exactly what town government is about, and exactly what the Venditto administration did. And my campaign is a very, very positive one. The only message I want to get out to the residents are the things that I have done for this town," he said.

He also offered some tough words for his toughest critics. "Maybe there's a reason why the Democrats can't get themselves elected in the Town of Oyster Bay. It's because all they do is spout this negative nonsense which falls on deaf ears," he said, adding "The resident voters of this town are much more intelligent than the Democrats give them credit for. We have residents who understand who their town supervisor is and what he does, and they understand that the Town of Oyster Bay is a very special place, and why it is."

Although Democratic challengers have said the town has an approximately $30 million budget deficit, Venditto, as well as the town board, have assured that the hole has been plugged. According to Venditto, it is being filled by the sale of a large parcel of land near the Long Island Expressway in Plainview, the sale of environmentally sensitive off-shore land in the South Shore Estuary system to the state, which will remain protected, and a slight tax increase, which he said is plausible considering that town taxes are currently at the 1989 level. "The deficit in the town is zero," he said.

According to Venditto, the Plainview land was originally being offered to a condominium developer for $24 million to fill the 1997 and 1998 budget deficits he inherited from former Supervisor Lewis Yevoli. But after the town negotiated the downsizing of the purchaser's development plan, at the request of concerned neighboring residents, it is being sold for $16 million. The residents' request for downsizing had stemmed from concerns that the land was located atop a groundwater aquifer, and that the site plans included neither a senior citizen housing component nor enough open space. The new plan, according to Venditto, includes less condominium units, doubles the amount of open space at the site, and includes a 20 percent senior housing component.

Preservation of the suburban character of the town is a high priority for the Venditto administration, the incumbent noted. In response to his challenger's assertions that the town needs a Master Plan, the supervisor said he has not pursued one because it would strip the municipality of the flexibility in zoning decisions it now enjoys. He noted that the town's current zoning regulations allow officials to reject development plans that are not suitable for their sites, and that this is a vital "weapon" in the struggle to preserve the town's high quality of life.

Although his challengers have also called for re-codification, Venditto noted that this is important, but that it should not be done in haste, and the town is in the process of getting community input to ensure that residents' interests are well-represented.

The current administration's commitment to preserving open spaces is also evident in the way it has handled the Underhill Property issue, according to Venditto. He said the town, in the past, has supported community efforts to block development of the large parcel of environmentally sensitive land in Jericho, and will continue to. He noted that although the town cannot afford to purchase the land, the municipality will help residents acquire the funds to do so.

If re-elected, the candidate noted that his primary goal would be to keep the Town of Oyster Bay one of the most desirable places to live. He believes the town is currently faced with many opportunists - such as mall developers and adult entertainment shop owners - who want to capitalize on its affluence and other attributes, so the town must be protected. And, he said, he is the right person for the job.

"The Town of Oyster Bay is a crossroads. There is a titanic struggle going on in a day-in, day-out basis to keep this town along the path that it is - to see to it that we remain fiscally healthy, environmentally sound, and of course that our quality of life remains second to none," he said. "And you need someone at the helm, you need elected officials in this town who have the drive to work hard, the ability to be responsive, and beyond that, the ability to handle the assortment of issues that rise up on a day-to-day basis...You've got to be alert. You've got to be ready. You've got to hustle. You've got to fight."

Kevin Langberg is running for Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor as he leads a Democratic slate of candidates who have vowed to bring a new voice to town government that will eliminate wasteful spending and better the quality of life.

"We have gotten a really good response everywhere we have gone," said Langberg in a recent interview. "From Massapequa up to Sea Cliff, we are seeing that people are really tired of the business as usual approach the Oyster Bay Republicans are using."

He continued, "They [voters] cannot believe that in this thriving economic environment, where it seems every municipal government is having budget surplus', Oyster Bay, just like Nassau County, is facing a budgetary deficit and they are raising taxes."

According to Langberg, who has served as an assistant to Lew Yevoli when he was a New York State Assemblyman and the Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor, the Republican board led by John Venditto has allowed the town's financial woes to negatively impact the quality of life of its communities. He cites a prevailing philosophy on the board to generate revenue through increased development as a major culprit.

"They [residents] are concerned about a lot of quality of life issues that revolve around land use, particularly applications that come before the board, such as the high speed ferry in the Glen Head area," said Langberg. "People are concerned that the town board is allowing these things to be done because of the potential revenue they will bring to the town to close a budget gap."

He continued, "They feel the town is taking them for granted in a way that allows their quality of life to be negatively impacted.

"Clearly there has been overdevelopment in the town. Everywhere that you turn there is a glut of stores and shopping centers. The Underhill property and every open space is being threatened by planned development of the Republican-led board," said Langberg. "There is traffic congestion everywhere, you cannot move anywhere. You just have a whole host of problems created by development. I think the quality of life in town is really at stake here and people are really fed up with the overdevelopment."

To help rein in the expansive nature of the board, Langberg and his fellow Democratic candidates have proposed the implementation of a master plan. The plan would provide guidelines for future developments in the town. According to Langberg, the present system and an antiquated zoning system allows the board too much discretion over proposed development projects. He noted the proposed Cablevision heliport in Bethpage and the high speed ferry in Glen Head as examples of the town catering to developers and not their constituency.

"A master plan would provide guidelines for which to limit the scope of development. My personal feeling is that we have enough residential homes in Oyster Bay. There is no shortage of homes, there is a shortage of open space and greenery in the town. There are only so many homes you can build in an area without turning the communities into Queens."

Langberg, who grew up and now lives in Plainview, remembers a small lot that was left vacant for decades that now is the site of six homes. He noted how the houses were piled onto the property like sardines into a can and took away from the suburban element of the community. Updated zoning codes, an important facet of a master plan, would have prevented the overdevelopment of this property by its owner.

"They [developers] are not building communities, they are building homes that allows them to reap huge profits," said Langberg. "The new housing is not adding to communities it is destroying them."

He stated that the town's financial shortcomings could be resolved not through "overdevelopment" but through the elimination of wasteful town spending. As an example, he asserts the town has bought hundred's of cars in recent years, a rate that he states is far outpacing the standard in not only government, but private industry.

Langberg alleges the town's fiscal dilemma has not only inhibited it from helping purchase the environmentally sensitive Underhill property in Jericho, but has also prevented the state from offering considerable monetary support in doing so. According to Langberg, the state's planned purchase of the 751 acres of marsh land in the South Shore Estuary will deplete the state of finite funds it has designated to purchase environmentally sensitive land in danger of being developed, such as the Underhill property. He alleges the land in the south shore estuary was never in any danger of being developed, and consequently monies that should have been used by the state to protect the Underhill property are being wasted.

"The state and town have no interest in pursuing those funds for the purchase of the Underhill parcel, because there is money to be made there," said Langberg. "I find it hypocritical of the state and the town in fearing that this marsh land is threatened and wasting $20 million of scarce bond money when they could be applied to the purchase of the Underhill parcel."

"The Underhill parcel should be preserved. It sits on a special ground water protection area, just like the 65 acres in Plainview, but the town does not seem concerned by that, it does not seem concerned about the welfare or the future of our communities"

The Town of Oyster Bay's S-2 housing program for senior citizens has been a shining star for the town as it has been lauded nationally as a model for such housing. In recent years however several issues have arisen in connection to the developments, such as their being too concentrated in certain areas of the town.

Langberg stated that providing for seniors in the town is paramount on his agenda, but feels that certain communities, such as Woodbury and Jericho, have reached their saturation point. As part of a master plan he would coordinate all such developments in the future, so as to evenly distribute them throughout the town.

A high quality of life, according to Langberg, is not just enhanced by increased services but by maintaining a suburban environment, something he states the Republican town board appears to have neglected in favor of increased development.