Candidate Spotlight: Elisabeth McGuire [VIDEO]

With the Patchogue Village Mayoral Election coming up on March 20, Patchogue Patch has sat down with all of the candidates for Q&A and for a quick video pitch on why you should vote for them. Check back to Patchogue Patch all week at 6:30 p.m. for spotlights on each mayor candidate, and next week for videos from the trustee candidates.

Elisabeth McGuire

Candidate: Mayor

Party: Residents First

Patch: Why have you decided to seek office and what makes you qualified to serve as a trustee/mayor?

McGuire: I love our Village, and as a resident and homeowner raising a child here, I am excited to serve our community and help Patchogue realize its full potential. I am a former Patchogue Village Trustee, and I have been active in our community for 15 years. I have 20 years of experience in marketing and sales, and I am the Executive Vice President of a global jewelry manufacturer and distributor. I have traveled all over the world and have significant experience in the retail industry. I want to utilize my experience, energy, and commitment to improve our community and make our government more professional, open and responsive to residents.

Patch: What are your thoughts on Patchogue's growth over the past five years?

McGuire: There have been a number of encouraging private investments in terms of restaurants opening up on Main Street, but we’ve failed to attract a sufficient amount of small retail or service based commercial businesses. They are critical to attracting shoppers to our community and to providing long term sustainability and vibrancy to our downtown. We have absolutely reached the tipping point in terms of high density housing. While owner occupied units are preferable to rentals, a number of condominium and cooperative owners have applied to the Village Board for permission to rent, and at least one new development is now experiencing difficulty selling its units. This is a major concern, because when developers can’t sell owner occupied units they apply look to rent them, and adding more rentals will further saturate our rental market, driving rental rates down while further taxing our infrastructure.

Patch: What are the two biggest issues Patchogue still faces?

McGuire: Making sure we wisely develop the Four Corners and that we restore fiscal responsibility and integrity so we can hold the line on taxes. We will only have one opportunity to develop the property currently owned by Tritec, and the future of our community depends on us getting it right. We need to ensure that the plan is balanced and provides of a mixed use that will benefit Village residents and small business owners. Residents have seen their taxes increase in the middle of a recession and at a time when: a village clerk has stolen almost $200,000 dollars*, the Mayor has illegally taken more than $17,000 in village gasoline, issued himself a credit card, illegally given away a loan of $150,000 to Artspace*, secretly sold his private vehicle to the Village at a profit*, and created a patronage job for a relative which will cost the residents more than $1 million dollars. Residents deserve better.

*Editorial Note: Information on the still-ongoing case with the clerk is . More information regarding the , and additional information to the other accusations and Pontieri's response to them are available and .

Patch: Are you for or against project and why?

McGuire: I am against the “amended plan” because putting 291 rental apartments on the Four Corners will create a parking and traffic nightmare and will result in the long term demise of our community. The project is way too dense. It is also unrealistic to believe that “teachers, doctors, lawyers, nurses, police officers, and other middle income families making in excess of $140,000 per year” (as Tritec claims) will move into what the developer describes as “luxury living” rental apartments on the Four Corners (that’s how the other apartment complexes in Patchogue were described before being built).

This just hasn’t happened anywhere else locally, and this project will likely become dominated by Section 8 tenants. The residents I speak to feel Patchogue is in danger of losing its small town charm and is morphing into Hempstead or Queens. (This is too important to fully address in 4 or 5 sentences so please on this same subject). Our elected government needs to listen to its residents.

Patch: What kind of time commitment would you be able to put toward the mayor/trustee position?

McGuire: I have the full support of my employer and family to devote the time necessary to excel as Mayor. I manage my own time, and my job as Vice President provides me with the flexibility to be available 24/7, and I intend to add office hours on evenings and weekends to provide residents more access to the Mayor’s office.

The Mayor’s position has always been a part time job, and Mayor’s Pontieri, Ihne, and Keegan all held full time jobs while serving as Village Mayor. I have a very different management style from the current Mayor, and I intend to include my fellow trustees and full time village employees in building consensus and managing village business in a professional manner.

I will streamline operations and improve efficiency at Village Hall. I have all the time and an abundance of energy and commitment to excel as Patchogue’s Mayor.

Patch: In what ways would you reach out to Patchogue's large Hispanic community?

McGuire: Our nation and our Village are strengthened by our diversity. I intend to reach out to the Hispanic community and encourage these residents to get involved. I want to find out what their needs and concerns are and whether or not they have been properly addressed in the past.

Each part of our community should have proper representation. I will forge a healthy relationship with local businesses, community leaders and clergy to determine the best way to facilitate their involvement in our Village and improve community relations.

As a Vice President for a global business, I have had vast experience working successfully with people of many different cultural backgrounds towards a common goal. Above all I will lead by example and make our neighbors feel welcome.

Patch: What's your goal for the makeup of Patchogue's Main Street at the end of the next four years?

McGuire: I want to see the , the economic engine that drives our downtown, realize its full potential. I am confident that by involving experienced, qualified, and connected professionals, our Theater will not only be profitable, but able to attract top notch performers and operate at full capacity, drawing more foot traffic to our Main Street.

I will proactively seek commercial and retail businesses and create incentives that will make Patchogue Village a viable place to open or relocate. I will make sure that the Four Corners is developed properly and that our parking and traffic needs are met. I will also ensure a more visible presence of code enforcement on Main Street so that residents and visitors feel both welcome and safe.

Patch: There are many vacancies on Main Street; how would you propose enticing new businesses to open up in Patchogue?

McGuire: I am in charge of acquiring and managing more than $40 million dollars of annual accounts and regularly give business presentations to Fortune 500 companies. I will use my marketing and sales abilities and my connections in my industry to actively and aggressively seek out new businesses for Main Street.

We can’t be content with the status quo of giving developers carte blanche to develop rentals and condos and call that progress. For years I and many residents have clamored for a Trader Joes or Whole Foods in Patchogue.

As Mayor I will pick up the phone and initiate contacts with senior management for these types of businesses to encourage and convince them to invest in Patchogue.

Patch: What are three of your hobbies?

McGuire: I love to spend time at the beach and on our boat in the summertime. I love to entertain friends and I enjoy travel, but mostly I love spending time with my family right here in our Village.

Patch: How would your best friends/family describe you?

McGuire: You’ll have to ask them. I describe myself as a tireless worker who strives for excellence while making the time to enjoy life. I try to never stop learning or improving and to keep my sense of humor. I do my best to inspire others and help make my community a better place. I’m very grateful for all the blessings I have been given.

RELATED:

Check Friday at 6:30 p.m. for the profile of Richard Evans, mayor candidate from Progress For All. Trustee candidate profiles will begin to run Monday, March 12.