Thomas Schiavoni, Councilman, Town of Southampton

THOMAS SCHIAVONI

Democratic

BACKGROUND:

• Schiavoni, 57, who goes by Tommy John, is a retired high school social studies teacher. He lives in Sag Harbor and was elected to the town board in 2017. He also is running on the Clean Water line.
• Before becoming a town councilman, he served on the town’s zoning board of appeals, was a trustee and vice president of the Sag Harbor school board and was a trustee and member of the zoning board of appeals for the village of North Haven.
• He has a bachelor’s degree in secondary social studies from SUNY Cortland and a master’s degree in education from Stony Brook University.

ISSUES:

• Schiavoni would like to work more on environmental and water quality issues, including helping other municipalities install sewer systems to reduce nitrogen in Peconic, Shinnecock and Moriches bays.
• He wants to maintain and promote affordable housing and supports proposed state legislation that would use a 0.5% real estate transfer tax to create a fund for towns to use toward programs such as financial assistance for first-time homebuyers.
• He also wants to encourage a diverse community and said creating more affordable housing programs and mixed-use development, such as having apartments over businesses, would help this goal.

By Denise M. Bonilla

denise.bonilla@newsday.comdenisebonilla

Denise Bonilla has worked at Newsday since 2003 and covers the Town of Babylon, including the villages of Lindenhurst and Amityville.