Patch Candidate Profile: DuWayne Gregory For Babylon Town Council

TOWN OF BABYLON, NY — Suffolk County residents will be lining up at the polls for Election Day on Nov. 7, or early voting from Oct. 28 to Nov. 5, where they will be voting for their chosen candidates.

Democrat DuWayne Gregory, who has served on the Babylon Town Council since 2020, is running for reelection.

Republican Jarod Morris and Democrat, Councilman Terrence McSweeney are also running.

Voters must elect two out of the three candidates for Babylon Town Council.

Patch reached out to all candidates to hear where they stand on important issues affecting the community.

Here are the responses for those who participated. The answers have been lightly edited for clarity:

Name

DuWayne Gregory

How old will you be as of Election Day?

54

Does your campaign have a website? If so, include the URL here.

https://babylondemocrats.com/

What city or town do you live in?

Babylon

What office are you seeking?

Town Council

If you are running in a district, you can specify the district here.

Party affiliation.

Democrat

Education.

Bachelors of Arts

What is your occupation?

SVP for Consulting firm and over 25 years of government experience.

Do you have a family? If so, please tell us about them.

Married to my wife Erica for twelve years. We have four children and three grandchildren, Elena (2 years old), Chase (20 months old), and Alan (5 months old).

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Have you ever held a public office, whether appointive or elective?

I was a County Legislator for the 15th District for eleven years from 2008-2020. I served as the Majority Leader for two years and as the Presiding Officer for seven years.

Now we'd like to ask a few questions about your reasons for running and your general views on politics and government. First, why are you seeking this office?

I’m running for re-election because I have a record of accomplishment working for the community. We have a solid team that works hard for the residents of the Town of Babylon to make sure our town remains safe, strong and resilient. I would like to continue the important work we have been doing.

Please complete this statement: The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is \_\_\_, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Affordability and I plan to continue to work with the team to provide a high level of services for all of our residents for the taxes that they pay. We have an AAA bond rating because we have been fiscally smart while expanding critical services for our residents.

What needs to be done to address water quality issues on LI?

We have to reduce nitrogen from contaminating our water. The expansion of sewers and advanced waste water treatment systems will help with that, as we reduce the number of homes with vessels pools. That will have a direct impact on water quality.

What do you think can be done to help improve our infrastructure, highways, etc?

In the Town of Babylon, we have committed to a long term funding of our roads and infrastructure that’s fiscally smart and responsible. When you put off maintenance of infrastructure, it can cost you more in the long run, and we have a plan that avoids unnecessary long term costs.

How would you plan to help local business owners, who are struggling because of high rents, inflation and labor shortages?

The Town during the Covid pandemic created the Direct Support Program to help struggling businesses in the town with ARPA funding that we received. Over $8 million were awarded to local businesses. We will continue to work with our local businesses to meet their needs and challenges going forward. Making housing affordable is a way to keep workers here, and I’ve supported workforce housing projects in the town.

What is your stance on the current migrant situation affecting New York? And migrants were to be directed to shelters on Long Island, how would you prepare/plan for that?

The federal government has to step up and do their job for what is a federal issue. There has to be an immigration process that is transparent and that the people have confidence in. Right now migrants are places in communities with no funding which is having a big impact on the community. So working with our federal representatives is crucial to handle this issue correctly.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

Myself and my colleague, Councilman McSweeney have the experience and the record of accomplishment to continue to get the job done for the residents of the town. Our opponent hasn’t stated any problems with the job we have done, his concern is representation for his area.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?

Keeping the community safe and continuing to meet the needs of the residents because those needs change overtime. But we want to ensure that all residents of the town have a quality of life that they can be proud of.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

AAA bond rating, expanding and improving of Public Safety Department, our veterans services are second to none. We have a Human Services department that serves our seniors and provides services to the needy that are excellent. We met the needs of our business community when the pandemic turned our lives upside down.

Also, the programs that we provide for our youth are something that I am proud of, as well. There is a long list of things we have been able to do to have a positive impact on the lives of our residents.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

To do your best in whatever you do. Do it without showing off or without fanfare, because your work will speak for itself.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I feel my job is to work for the people. Constituent services is how I got my start in local government and take it very seriously. Every constituent’s needs are treated with the upmost care and concern.