Meet The Candidates: Barbara Peebles Runs For Glen Cove Council

GLEN COVE, NY — Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 2. And with voting just around the corner, Patch is reaching out to candidates across Nassau County to find out why they're running for office, and what they hope to achieve for residents.

Republican Barbara Peebles, 64, is vying for a seat on Glen Cove's City Council. She is currently the treasurer and clerk for the Village of Plandome.

This isn't Peebles' first time working for a municipal government. In January 2014, she began her career working for the city of Glen Cove, serving as the city's deputy mayor and executive director of the Industrial Development Agency for nearly four years.

The longtime Glen Cove resident also spent more than 25 years in the private sector, mostly at American Express.

You can learn more about Peebles below, and by clicking here.

Why are you seeking elective office?

My primary reason to seek elected office is because I have the most relevant skills and record of success in municipal government to contribute to Glen Cove's fiscal recovery. In addition, I am actively engaged in city business, advocating for the important issues facing our city, the wonderful employees, the residents, and the businesses of Glen Cove. I am frustrated by the lack of responsiveness, transparency, and knowledge displayed over the past four years. Glen Cove deserves strong leadership.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The most pressing issue facing Glen Cove is the fiscal mismanagement of the past four years. Credit rating decreased, Fiscal stress indicator trending drastically downward, over borrowing of $20 million in three years and most recently, an $8.5 million bond with 5% interest for the first eight years! Tax hike of 7.3% was the last straw! I intend to use my vast experience in budgeting, expense management, revenue generation, procurement, and capital planning to work with the new Mayor and City Council to implement sound financial and business practices that will be the foundation of Glen Cove's fiscal recovery plan.

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

The most critical difference between myself and the incumbents running for office is that they lack municipal government expertise, particularly financial. Other major differences include: incumbents show a lack of preparedness, poor communication, and slow responsiveness. They do not collaborate and often try to reinvent the wheel without a comprehensive plan, while leaving out the city employees with the expertise. This results in wasted time, money, and resources. My entire career is a track record of success due to my strong leadership and ability to deliver results.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)?

The current Administration has failed in many ways and they falsely blame the previous Administration rather than be accountable for the things they can not deliver.

The current Mayor has 13 years as City Council, and now 4 years as Mayor — at what point will he "own it?" The City can not afford another two years under his lack of leadership. Constituents are frustrated by his lack of responsiveness.

The current Administration has not implemented a single new initiative but takes credit for all that was started before they took office. To name a few on top of the list of failures: the budget, raised water rates, increased taxes 7.3%, eliminated jobs, and worse — replaced highly respected high performing department heads with less experienced "friendly appointments" at an increased salary! The morale in City Hall and among other departments is at an all-time low.

How do you think local officials performed in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?

This is difficult to answer since the current Administration didn't perform at all. In short - they had no plan. The employees were not protected properly nor did the Mayor communicate effectively to them. Residents received little information or support. I recall there were a couple of photo ops for testing sites that were set up nearby and sponsored by other organizations. And now, when the incumbents struggle to articulate any accomplishments — they are blaming Covid! I would have done things differently, but first I would have kept the Mayor's office staffed since it is large enough for safe distance protocols!

Other things I would have done differently:

• Pushed out robocalls with updates for available resources
• Ensured the city website had robust and frequent updates regarding City Hall services, policies, contact, and office hour changes
• Held employee meetings via Zoom ensuring all departments were staffed sufficiently
• Implemented safety precautions for those coming into the office (some employees traveled out of state and did not even let co-workers or personnel know)
• Established policy for reporting health issues, contact tracing
• Evaluated a possible furlough of employees that would have saved city money while the employee may have actually received higher income via the special unemployment benefits
• Implemented customer service protocols
• Implemented a staged re-opening plan with safe areas in the main chamber rather than leaving people in the cold and rain trying to pay taxes or water

Bottom line: post-crisis, I would have had a department head meeting on lessons learned and created a "virus preparedness plan" in the event of a future pandemic/similar health emergency.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

My campaign is defined by "bringing Leadership back to City Hall," specifically:

• Exude respect and responsiveness to constituents, employees, and businesses
• Implement strong fiscal recovery plan
• Support business development and invest in attracting businesses
• Increase Code Enforcement staff and procedures for the safety and enhanced quality of life of our residents, businesses, and visitors!

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

Too many to list, but highlights would include:

I am the only candidate with the relevant skills and success in municipal government. Backed up with 25 years in the private sector in leadership positions in finance, procurement, audit, and consulting; and recognized as a top performer in driving results across shareholder, employee satisfaction, and community service.

As Deputy Mayor of Glen Cove, I focused on business development resulting in over 70 new businesses opening and 100s of jobs — notably Panera, AMC Theater, and restaurants such as Meritage Wine Bar. I led the Village Square project — bringing a long-vacant prime location in downtown to a beautiful mixed-use development. I led the Coles School project which we ultimately sold and turned a dormant city asset into a high-performing school.

Represented the city as guest speaker at many Long Island business organizations to increase awareness of Glen Cove opportunities and create a buzz for investors.

Point person to ensure the delayed Ferry Terminal Building was completed to meet required deadlines imposed by the Federal Government that funded the project.

Community-minded — just two areas that provided tremendous positive outcomes:

1) I was a founding member of the Glen Cove 350 Anniversary Celebration as well as an Advisory Committee member for Finance and fundraising.

2) I led the effort to upgrade the animal shelter facility, services, and policies resulting in a transition to a new nonprofit organization that continues to exceed all performance measurements on many levels.

And for the past 4 years, I have served as Clerk, Treasurer, and Tax Assessor for the Village of Plandome. I am an active member in the NY Conference of Mayors, LI Village Clerk Association, as well as Nassau County Village Officials Association. I oversee Planning, Zoning, Building Dept, and Code Enforcement. My success includes increased S&P credit rating to AAA, negotiated bonds at lower interest rates, balanced budget to improve services while reducing expenses, strengthened Capital Plan, and increased our surplus annually year over year by over 33%. The Mayor of Plandome endorsed my candidacy for this election!

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Always be prepared, listen to all sides, be confident and firm in decision-making. Own it.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

Some voters already know that I am very serious about business and yet fun to work with! No matter how challenging the cause I find ways to get things done. I have always been proud of my relationship skills that bring people together, motivate teams, and inspire collaboration. I have been blessed with a great career and worked for admired leaders — I'd like to utilize my skills and positive attitude to serve as Glen Cove as City Council member.