Mark Mayoka to seek re-election to Huntington Town board

Candidates are coming to the forefront in Huntington.

Town board member Mark Mayoka announced he plans to seek a second term this fall. Mayoka, a certified public accountant, defeated incumbent Stuart Besen in 2009.

He said he plans to continue working with veterans and the small business resource and recovery center that he helped establish at Town Hall. Mayoka launched the initiative to build a house for hometown hero Marine Capt. James Byler, an Afghanistan wounded warrior.

"I think I have been effective and helped residents and want to continue," Mayoka, a Cold Spring Harbor resident, said Friday. "I want to work toward eliminating wasteful spending and continuing [to] build out small business programs in the town."

Meanwhile Don McKay, the town's director of parks and recreation, has announced he will seek the Democratic nomination for highway superintendent, taking on longtime chief William Naughton. McKay, of Dix Hills, has been a town employee since 1998, first working as an aide to Rep. Steve Israel (D-Dix Hills), then as a town board member, and later as the town public information officer. He said the department needs a change in leadership and technology upgrades.

"The department needs new energy, new vision," McKay said last week. "It's financial, too. Every year his spending and budget goes up and then so do the taxes; that needs to be looked at."

Naughton, who could not be reached for comment, has served as highway superintendent for 25 years. Last election, he ran unopposed on the Democratic, Republican, Independence, Conservative and Working Families lines.

Recently, Naughton has sparred publicly with the town board over budgets and hiring.