No doubt, City Council race will bring change

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A strong City Council is needed to advocate for the public. With all six Glen Cove City Council seats up for grabs, and only three incumbents running for re-election, 2017 will, no doubt, bring change to the city’s leadership.

We believe incumbents Joseph Capobianco and Pamela Panzenbeck should remain on the council.

Vocal during pre-council meetings, Panzenbeck asks questions often and is known for sharing her opinions. The two-term councilwoman is a regular at community events. And she is concerned that Glen Cove’s Hispanic residents are not involved in city government, and is seeking ways to include them.

Capobianco, an attorney, has lived in the community for 57 years. Open to considering new ideas, he is also seen often at community events. Quality-of-life issues are important to him. He also has a heart. When he saw a group of teenagers congregating, his first reaction was not to worry what it might look like for the city. Instead, he considered where youth recreation centers could be added.

We are also endorsing Michael Zangari, a Democrat running on the Republican ticket. Very involved in Glen Cove, he is a member of the Sports Recreation Commission, CYO, the Sons of Italy, Kiwanis and the Glen Cove Youth Board. He is also at nearly every pre-council and council meeting. He, himself, is disabled and in a wheelchair and is committed to increasing handicapped accessibility.

We are also endorsing three Democratic newcomers — Andrew Bennett, Annie Phillips and Marsha Silverman.

Bennett, a middle school principal, is a problem-solver, supports an open dialogue with residents and is committed to government transparency.

Phillips, a single mother of two, offers a different perspective — that Glen Cove may become so gentrified that she will have to move. With a business management background, she has the experience to recommend ways to tighten the budget. Her ideas for adding bike paths and requiring new projects to include renewable solar energy are forward thinking.

Silverman is the only candidate who is a financial analyst. Her monetary insights could be useful to Glen Cove. She attends council meetings regularly and is vocal, fearlessly questioning the group’s decisions.

We might have considered endorsing Nicholas DiLeo Jr., Marcela De La Fuente and Roger Williams, but their inability to make time for an endorsement interview made that impossible.