Politics & Government

Nolan Touts Record in Seeking Re-election

Incumbent Islip Town Supervisor says efforts to control costs have allowed him to hold the line on taxes.

In seeking a second full term as Islip Supervisor, Democrat Phil Nolan is not bashful about touting a record he said has improved the quality of life for residents throughout the Town.

“We’ve been able to keep the citizens of Islip paying the lowest town taxes on Long Island while at the same time upgrading our bonds to Triple A and also downsizing our workforce while maintaining services,” he said.

Nolan, 61, a resident of the hamlet of Islip who was first elected as supervisor in 2006 and won re-election a year later, faces Republican on Election Day.

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In the years since taking the supervisor’s seat, Nolan said he has instituted a number of changes that have led to cost savings while not diminishing services to local residents.

“When I become supervisor we had $22 million to $23 million annually in mortgage tax revenue, which has dropped to $7 million a year on average over the past four years,” he said. “That has been a big hit to our budget and as a result we faced some tough decisions.”

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To offset that drop in revenue, Nolan said several steps were taken that included reducing the Town’s workforce by 300, reducing overtime costs and also eliminating health plans for those serving part-time on various Town boards.

“The challenge for everyone was finding the cost savings,” he said. “We did that by wiping out abuse. To say the Town was not being managed well before I was elected is an understatement.”

Islip’s effort to reign in employee costs was noted recently by Risk & Reward Insurance Magazine, which awarded the Town with its Theodore Roosevelt National Works Compensation and Disability Management Award. Town officials said the municipality has saved $6.5 million in workers compensation costs as the result of several measures it has implemented coupled with a partnership with Brady Risk Management.

“This was the first time a municipality has received the Roosevelt Award,” Nolan said.

While working to cut spending, Nolan said the Town over the past five years has also worked to upgrade technology to help with efficiencies.

“When I first got here there were typewriters on the desk,” he said. “There was very little use of modern technology. We completely changed and moved into the 21st century.”

When out on the campaign trail, Nolan said residents have expressed familiar concerns that include taxes and the providing of basic services that include everything from trash pickup to street sweeping and snow removal. But this year, jobs have also dominated the conversation, he said.

Touting a record of job creation and retention, Nolan cited the Town’s work in keeping Wenner Bread of Bayport from taking its 450 jobs and relocating to North Carolina.

“We crafted a plan that included Wenner using the new Sills Road rail line to transport their flour,” he said. “This allowed them to save $33,000 a month and made them much more competitive.”


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