Patch 2011 Elections: District 9 County Legislators

Patch has asked your candidates a set of questions. Check back each day for their answers. This week, we're looking at county candidates and next week we'll look at town candidates. Check out this for the line up this week. It's the battle of the Chris's. Today's District 9 candidates are Chris Carey and Chris Martone. District 9 encompasses all of Bardonia, parts of Nanuet and New City, and small slivers of Pomona and West Nyack.

Party Lines:

Chris Martone: Democrat, Working Families

Chris Carey: Republican, Conservative, Independence

1. What community do you live in?

Martone: Clarkstown- New City

Carey: I live in Bardonia.

2. How long have you lived there?

Martone: I have lived in New City since Age 3 only leaving area during Law School

Carey: I have lived in Bardonia 45 out of my 49 years.  My wife Maureen and I bought my parents house in 1992 and have been raising our daughters there ever since.

3. How old are you?

Martone: 31

Carey: 49

4. Provide family information

Martone: Wife Kristen, Daughter Natalie 4, Son Matthew 2

Carey: I married my college sweetheart Maureen in 1987.  We met at Manhattan College where my oldest daughter Tara is a freshman.  My youngest daughter Anna is a junior at Clarkstown South High School.

5. What is your education background?

Martone: St Augustine's Elementary Class 1994 Don Bosco Prep- 1998, Pace University(Bachelor of Business Administration- Business Economics) 2002, Roger Williams Law School- Juris Doctor 2006

Carey: I have a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Mechanical Engineering from Manhattan College. I have a Master of Science degree in Telecom & Computing Management from Polytechnic University (now NYU Poly). I have a Master of Business Administration degree in Finance from Long Island University.

6. Why do you think you are qualified for this position?

Martone: The County Government is broken, we are in a major financial crisis and we need a problem solver. As an attorney who specializes in Bankruptcy and Foreclosure defense I have tremendous experience dealing with peoples financial crisis. The last 6 years I have been in the private sector with many clients financial problems. I have been able to make there quality of life better. I will do the same for the Residents of Rockland County. Rockland County taxpayers are facing a $86 million dollar deficit. There is a need for smarter ways to save taxpayer's monies, eliminate waste, and cuts costs. I am the candidate that is a problem solver.

Carey: I am a community minded business leader with twenty-seven years of business and management experience.  As a manager, I am familiar with managing large budgets over many years, finding better and more efficient ways to do business.  Further, I have extensive involvement in the community with various not- for-profits in leadership roles.  This includes Board of Director positions with Camp Venture, the Rockland County Municipal Planning Federation and the Clarkstown Family Resource Center.  Finally, I have almost three years of experience as a member of the Clarkstown Planning Board and of the Special Board for the Comprehensive Plan in Clarkstown.  I understand how to work with business and juggle community interests.  

7. Why are you running for this elected office?

Martone: I am running for elected office because I have a vested interest in the community. We are a young family with a child starting Bardonia Elementary next year. I want to continue to reside in this community and raise my family but we need to fix the County Government which is broken. As an attorney I advocate for my clients. In the legislature I plan to advocate for my constituents.  We need more people who have a great work ethic and we need problem solvers in the legislature that can be heard. I am also concerned about the "major disconnect" between the residents and the legislature. I am focused on getting constituents involved in offering quarterly meetings possibly weekend meetings. Tell me your issues and I'll make sure you're heard in the legislature.

Carey: Rockland County’s financial crisis is a business problem.  You need a business leader to fix a business problem.  I have extensive business leadership experience in private, not-for-profit and civic organizations that will enable me to make an immediate impact in the Legislature.   With the retirement of Gerry Bierker after 12 years of service, the voters in Legislative District #9 have an important decision in November.  You have two candidates vying for that open seat.  The voters need to look closely at both candidates’ resumes and decide who is best qualified to represent them in the Legislature.   I am confident that my extensive business leadership and community service clearly set me apart from my opponent.  It is time for leadership – not politics.

8. What are the three issues that most concern you?

Martone:

1. Balancing the County Budget which currently has $86 million dollar deficit.

2. County Executive and County Legislature are not properly working together we can't resolve anything till everybody is on the same page and agenda.

3. Disconnect between the County Government and Residents of Rockland  County

Carey:

1. The $82M budget deficit.

2. The dysfunction between the Executive and Legislative branches of the county Government which helped to create the budget crisis

3. The short and long term solution for the County Hospital       

9. Explain your proposed approach to managing these issues

Martone: Advocating at County Level the Issues and Concerns for the People of District #9; Bridging the Gap between residents and Legislature through Quarterly Constituent meetings; Making county government more transparent; Decrease the county budget deficit by eliminating wasteful spending and increasing revenue streams; Developing an efficient working relationship between the County Legislature and the County Executive

Stimulating Budget advocacy, which is another aspect of advocacy that ensures proactive engagement of Civil Society Organizations with the government budget to make the government more accountable to the people and promote transparency. Budget advocacy also enables citizens and social action groups to compel the government to be more alert to the needs and aspirations of people in general and the deprived sections of the community.

Carey: The budget process is flawed with faulty assumptions and the blame game. The Executive and Legislature must work together with real numbers and take a multi-year approach to our problems.  Therefore, I will not support a budget that is not based on valid current projections for income (sales tax, mortgage recording taxes, fees and state government support) and expenses.  If elected, I will insist that we enter into a multi-year budget planning process and insist on accurate projections based upon real market conditions—it is time to stop passing the buck and work collectively to put our economic house in order.

It was recently acknowledged that the County Hospital is losing approximately $1M a month.  There needs to be a 3rd party audit of the Hospital’s budget to determine what the problem is.  Once that is determined the county needs to move aggressively to stabilize the daily operations of this facility.  

For the long term, we need to again bring in outside expertise to develop a business plan to see if the proposed Private Benefit Corporation (PBC) will result in something positive for the County.  PBCs have failed in other counties in NY State and my feeling is that is not the correct long term answer.

10. Have you held elected office before? Please provide details of what position 
and for how long.  

Martone: Never held elected office

Carey: This is the first time I am running for elected office.

11. What organizations do you belong to?

Martone:

• Clarkstown Democratic Committee
• Rockland County Democratic Committee
• Bardonia Civic Association
• Nanuet Civic Association
• Knights of Columbus
• National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorney's
• Sons of Italy
• Former Member of Clarkstown Planning Board

Carey:

• Bardonia Civic Association – Vice President
• Rockland Municipal Planning Federation – Board of Directors
• Clarkstown Family Resource Center – Board of Directors
• Camp Venture – Board of Directors
• Clarkstown Planning Board – Member
• Clarkstown Comprehensive Plan – Member of Special Board
• Clarkstown Architecture & Landscape Commission – Past Member
• Clarkstown Historical Review Board – Past Member
• Nanuet Civic Association – Member
• Ancient Order of Hibernians, Division 3 – Member
• Highview Playground – Finance Committee Member
• St Francis of Assisi Church – Past Parish Trustee; Finance Committee Member; Building Committee Member; Head Usher, Children’s Mass
• Knights of Columbus – Chancellor of the McCloskey Council
• Clarkstown Recreation – Past Soccer & Softball Coach

12. Election website?

Martone: Electchristophermartone.com

Carey: Citizensforcarey.com