Patch Candidate Profile: Andrew Leven For Riverhead Town Council

RIVERHEAD, NY — Riverhead residents will be heading to the polls soon to elect local representatives.

The race is on leading up to Election Day, which, this year, falls on Tuesday, November 7.

Patch asked those running for office to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles in the days leading up to the election.

Andrew Leven, on the Democratic ticket, is running for one of two open seats on the Riverhead Town Council. Also running are Republican candidates Denise Merrifield and Joann Waski, and Democratic candidate Rene Suprina.

Here is Patch's candidate profile of Andrew Leven.

Name

Andrew Leven

How old will you be as of Election Day?

63

Does your campaign have a website?

https://riverheaddemocrats.com...

What city or town do you live in?

Riverhead

What office are you seeking?

Town Board

Party affiliation

Republican running on Democratic ticket

Education

Juris Doctor (JD)

What is your occupation?

Attorney

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

Married with two children, two grandchildren

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

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

Yes, Bridgewater Township Planning Board, 6 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?

To save what Riverhead is, and be part of a ticket that crosses party lines, rejects tribalism, and seeks solutions to problems.

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

Rampant overdevelopment that is hurting the fair market value of residential homes.

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

it needs to be prioritized, adequately funded, and competently pursued.

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

We need a plan based on outreach to stakeholders, neighborhoods and the larger community.

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

Careful zoning, revamped TDRs, effective policing.

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?

I am against unfunded mandates and chaos. If a real plan is developed by the state or county, then Riverhead needs to be at the table, so its voice is heard to fight for the interests of our community. We will of course do what we are required by law to do, but at the same time we should protect Riverhead from unfunded mandates and chaos to the fullest extent permitted by law. And we will protect the interests of our community.

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

The current ticket has created the mess we are now in. The ticket I am part of is trying to fix it.

They don't enforce our code. They participate in a culture of rampant favoritism. They are asphyxiating the town with warehouses and chaotic, poorly planned commercial development. They embrace an IDA that has given away millions in tax revenue and is about to approve a commercial airport that they created —now they say they are against it, and they don't have a clue how to fix. (Editor's note: The IDA voted against the EPCAL plan this week).

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

Crime, basic town governance, tone at the top, the budget, school safety.

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

23 plus years as a federal prosecutor, 6 years on the planning board, a stint in-house as a healthcare compliance director at a Fortune 500 Company, and a life lived have left me as a formed individual who is fact based, able to listen, and willing to make hard decisions.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

Don't be too hard on yourself. There are so many people who are willing to do that for you.