Voters Guide: Suffolk County clerk, Vincent A. Puleo

Vincent A. Puleo

Republican

BACKGROUND:

• Puleo, 68, Nesconset, is serving his fifth term as Smithtown Town Clerk, an office he has held for 16 years.
• He also is running on the Republican and Conservative Party lines. Puleo attended Suffolk County Community College.
• He has served as a volunteer firefighter with the Nesconset Fire District for more than 45 years and has served as the district's fire commissioner since 1993. He is a five-time chairman with the Nesconset Fire Department.

ISSUES:

• Citing the recent hacking of Suffolk County computer systems, Puleo said he would seek to bolster information technology security in the clerk's office.
• Also, since the cyberattack has forced many county offices to switch temporarily to the use of paper records, he would work to bring such records up-to-date as quickly as possible. 
• Puleo said he also would work to improve efficiencies at the office to help residents get documents as quickly as possible. Puleo said, if elected, he would seek to assemble a transition team so he could get up-to-speed on issues quickly.