Diane Fontana, the Democratic candidate for the Islip Town Receiver of Taxes, hopes to bring her extensive business experience to a position that she says can certainly be improved.
“I’m not saying it’s broken," she says. “I’m saying that everything needs to be looked at and there’s always room for improvement. And why not have that improvement come from someone with 30 years of corporate business experience.”
Currently, Fontana, 54, is the owner of a small business in West Islip and also acts as the president of the . She’s spent 20 years in business operations, including serving as the director of purchasing and credit manager for various companies.
Fontana points out that one of her top priorities would be to modernize the way taxes get down in Islip. She said she spoke with dozens of senior citizens on alternative ways of paying taxes, instead of waiting on long lines outside of the Town's tax office.
“People want to be able to pay online, have additional credit card options, they want to be informed,” she says.
Fontana mentioned the five-day grace period senior citizens have at the end of tax season and wants to reinforce that amongst residents. “Instead of waiting on that line, they’ll be able to just mail a check in and not get penalized.“
Challenging Fontana is Sayville resident and . But Fontana says she is confident her skills and business career trump those of Weik's.
“’I’ve been an Islip resident for over three decades," Fontana said. “My background speaks for itself."
