Meet The Candidates: Richard LaMarca For Oyster Bay Town Clerk

TOWN OF OYSTER BAY, NY — Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 2. 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 Richard LaMarca is running to keep his position as the Town of Oyster Bay Clerk. He is being challenged by Democrat Carla Hoene.

LaMarca was first elected Town Clerk in 2019, and is running for his second term. Prior to that, he worked for 20 years in the private sector and as a vice president of a Fortune 500 company, and also worked as the Director of Labor-Management Relations for the town.

LaMarca, 57, lives in Oyster Bay with his wife, and has five children.

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am seeking re-election to the Office of Town Clerk, where I earned recognition for keeping my office fully operational throughout the COVID-19 public health crisis. I have a passion for public service and helping people. That's why I opened walkup windows at both Town Halls, allowing residents to receive services in the safety of the open air throughout the pandemic and never closed our doors. I also had the pleasure of personally officiating close to 200 in-person, socially-distanced wedding ceremonies, including marriage vows for frontline workers concerned for their personal safety and the health benefits of their loved ones.

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

High taxes is the most pressing issue facing homeowners and renters alike. I'm proud to have kept expenses low while running the Office of the Town Clerk. Oyster Bay government collects less money today than it did in 2017. In fact, we make up only 13% of your tax bill yet deliver many important services, including sanitation, recycling, parks, and the many license, permitting and passport services offered by my office.

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

Experience matters when it comes to running government and protecting your wallet. I have a proven track record of saving taxpayers money, improving efficiencies and delivering services during a pandemic. My opponent is a nice person, but has no real experience to run the Clerk's Office in America's 3rd largest township.

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

I personally officiated the marriage vows of over 200 couples during the pandemic while other townships across Long Island closed their doors. These vows were critical for frontline workers, who continued to work and wanted to ensure health benefits covered their loved ones. To serve residents with permits, licenses and other matters during the pandemic, I opened walkup windows and never closed our operations.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

I am committed to holding the line on new spending and to finding savings in every corner of our government.

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

Under my leadership, the Town Clerk's Office operates more efficiently than ever before and efficiencies have saved taxpayers real money.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Always treat others the way you want to be treated.

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

A passion for community service led me from a career in financial services to one in government. Born, raised and currently residing in the Oyster Bay hamlet, I give back to the community I love by serving as President of the Civic Association, a Director on the Oyster Bay-East Norwich Chamber of Commerce Board, a member of the Main Street Association Advisory Board, a representative on the Nassau County Police Commissioner’s Community Council, and as an active participant in the Historical Society, Parent-Teacher-Student Association (PTSA) , Railroad Museum, Athletic Booster Club, Mike Bruschini Memorial Scholarship Committee, Italian American Citizen’s Club, Italian American Mutual Aid Society and by coaching youth athletics. I have a skill for building relationships in both the community and the workforce, holding organizations and employees accountable for finances, and identifying talent to ensure that organizations succeed.