Meet The Candidates: Pamela Panzenbeck Runs For Glen Cove Mayor

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 Pamela Panzenbeck, 68, is running to succeed Glen Cove Mayor Tim Tenke. This is her first mayoral campaign after serving three terms on the city council and losing re-election in 2019.

While in office, Panzenbeck, was a liaison to the Glen Cove Youth Board and Senior Center, as well as a member of the Glen Cove Beautification Commission, Senior Advisory Board, and the Glen Cove Business Improvement District (BID).

Prior to public service, the lifelong Glen Cover spent 34 teaching business and computer education to students in the Levittown Public Schools.

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

Why are you seeking elective office?

I was shocked by the 7.32% tax increase and terminations of 6 employees in the 2021 budget, especially after many members of the community suffered financially during the pandemic.

The current administration is out of touch with the regular people in our community. The current Mayor has been lax regarding following proper budgeting practices, which has caused fiscal distress. Now he is trying to straighten out a mess, which he created. Even though the Mayor inherited a surplus, he is blaming former administrations for the city's financial woes.

In addition, the surplus he inherited is now a deficit. Our Moody's bond rating is one step above junk bond status. It is time for a change and I know that I can make a difference.

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

Finances are the most pressing issue facing our city.

I will meet with department heads monthly expressly for the purpose of budget review. We will evaluate revenue and expenses and make necessary adjustments to keep a financial plan on track. This will also help to control wasteful spending and help us to plan for the next budget.

After a 7.32% tax increase for last year's budget along with the termination of 6 valued employees, the Mayor has created a 2022 budget with a 0% increase along with the hiring of 9 employees. It just does not make sense and I hope people realize this. It appears to be an election year tactic. Where will this lead us for the 2023 budget?

I offer my full support to our police department, fire department, EMS, and all first responders. I will treat employees professionally and respectfully.

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

I am an energetic, hard-working member of the community. I am deeply involved in all aspects of Glen Cove and serve on many boards involving the youth, the seniors, and our beloved veterans. I am an active parishioner and lector at my church.

I care about my city and all its residents and workers. I am a good neighbor and believe in doing a good deed every day.

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

The current Mayor has let a lot of things go that should have been addressed. Our downtown is dreary and uninviting. There are many regulations and rules to open a new business. We must create a business-friendly, welcoming atmosphere for business growth. Building codes and special permit uses need to be addressed to make simplify the process of opening a business.

Constituents have never been given a straight answer about Crescent Beach or what the $100,000 grant received at the end of 2019 was used for. After asking during the spring of 2021, I was told Helixes would be used, and, later in the summer, I was told that plants would be purchased and used to clear bacteria. Still, the Mayor says he is working on this.

The golf course is in poor condition. The driving range is in a state of collapse. Many golfers are unhappy with these conditions and speak to me regularly about this. The Pryibil Beach Pier is always being closed for safety reasons and repaired temporarily. Let us choose one project and complete it once and for all.

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

This is a tough question to answer as hindsight is 20/20 and we really did not have a clear understanding of what the truth was. I would have made it easier for people to pay their taxes outside. I have heard complaints of long lines and complications.

Now that City Hall is partially open, the hours for people to pay their taxes are lessened making it very inconvenient for residents to pay their taxes. Paying taxes is not an option. They go to City Hall which is open but the tax windows are not.

Also, as Mayor, I would have opened up City Hall for public meetings far sooner. I would have been more responsive to constituents who needed help of every type during the lockdown.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

I will provide much-needed leadership to departments and employees of Glen Cove. I will treat all employees and vendors in a fair manner thus eliminating the number of costly lawsuits.

The Master Plan needs to be revisited and, as business models have changed, code needs to be revamped. We wish to attract new businesses and family-friendly businesses.

Capital borrowing will be lessened and used strictly for capital improvement projects to be completed in a timely manner.

I will honor and support all First Responders who put their own lives at risk.

As a former teacher, I would love to develop a partnership between the Mayor and School Superintendent's offices for the purposes of advocacy.

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

I realize that all through my life I have made career and personal choices that involve surrounding myself with people and assuming a role of helping, teaching, and caring for others. People and their happiness and well-being are of the utmost importance to me.

My career as a teacher and all of my involvement in community service and volunteerism have led me to this challenge. However, my greatest accomplishments are my three wonderful children who are productive members of society.

I realized as I got older that without being an overbearing individual, I have always chosen a leadership role and that has worked well for me. I know how to surround myself with good people and I can work with just about anyone.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

A leader never asks anyone to do a job that he has not done or is not willing to do himself.

And the other is: "The thing that goes the farthest toward making life worthwhile, that costs the least, and does the most is just a pleasant smile, so: Smile, Darn You, Smile!"

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

I love Glen Cove, I want Glen Cove to thrive and be a place where everyone will want to live and raise their families.

We have the best of everything here. Beautiful beaches, golf course, great parks, recreation, playgrounds, a marvelous Senior Center, and Youth Bureau. Glen Cove has great restaurants and a very diverse population. We are fortunate to have our own Police Department, Fire Department, and EMS. We are the home of a Community Hospital. Glen Cove has it all.

We have something for everyone, let us maintain what we have and make some of it better.

I am a lifetime Glen Cover and a graduate of Glen Cove High School and Landing School. Before Covid, my fourth grade Landing School class had regular reunions. That shows how special it is to have a strong hometown.

Editor's note: The candidate's responses have been lightly edited for clarity.