By MIKE CAPUTO
McKevitt, who seeks a second full term in the Assembly, won a special election in February 2006 after former Assemblywoman Maureen O'Connell vacated her seat to become county clerk. Six months later, McKevitt narrowly defeated Democratic challenger and fellow East Meadow resident Zahid-Ali Syed to earn a full term.
Since taking office in 2006, McKevitt has made it a point to establish a perfect voting attendance record, something he said is crucial for elected officials. "The most important thing I do is vote, and make sure I get there," he said. "Because that's why people put me in office in the first place."
Pinto is pursing his first elected position in state government, but has served for 11 years as a North Merrick school board member. For the past two years he has also served on the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School board.
Pinto said his experience as a school board member and a leader in the community should help him if he is elected. "I think to be up there would be a good benefit for the community because of the work I have proven and done for 20 years," Pinto said. "I think I can bring that same commitment to Albany.
In interviews with the Herald, both McKevitt and Pinto emphasized the importance of reducing the property tax burden for local homeowners, and especially gaining more state education aid for the school districts. McKevitt noted that local legislators have managed to secure more state education aid than the recently proposed executive budgets have called for. He vowed, however, to continue working to gain a fair share of state education aid for the county.
"I think the most important thing over the last couple of years is getting more state aid for the school districts, and I think that is probably the biggest obligation for us to do in the state," McKevitt said.
Pinto, who has helped mold several school budgets, stressed that more needs to be done on a state level to alleviate the property tax burden in the county. "It's great that you're making that progress, but you're not really making the progress that we need to help our communities to offset the property tax that is actually killing us," he said, adding that unfunded mandates handed down by the State Education Department are a major problem for school districts.
McKevitt also identified mandates as a problem, and suggested more government oversight of the state education system. His plan includes supporting a bill that would charge an inspector general with overseeing education and possibly writing a bill that would require the governor, rather than the Board of Regents, to appoint the state education commissioner.
"Part of the problem in the state is that we have a very poor educational structure," McKevitt said. "The commissioner of education should be appointed by the governor of New York state. It should not be appointed by the Board of Regents, who are fully insulated from the political process."
Despite being in the Assembly's minority party, McKevitt said he has and still can propose bills, pitch ideas and make a significant impact for his constituency. He said he supported property tax rebates for seniors and a proposed gasoline tax cap, and co-sponsored a bill with Harvey Weisenberg (D-Long Beach) to make it easier to prosecute drunk drivers.
"I think what is important with my vote is that check in the balance system of the majority with things they are doing," McKevitt said.
Pinto said he believes that, if elected, he will have more of an influence in an Assembly in which Democrats are in the majority. "I think I am going to get a little more done," he Democrat said. "I am going to have my ear to the rail a little bit more than my opponent has done."
Pinto, 45, has worked in the printing industry for 30 years, and is currently an operations manager for a company based in Freeport. A member of Calhoun High School's class of 1981, Pinto lives in Merrick with his wife, Christine, and four children ranging in age from 24 to 10. Before joining the school board in 1997, Pinto was active in the local Little League and Police Athletic League.
McKevitt, who was born and raised in East Meadow, is a lawyer who worked in the Hempstead town attorney's office for nine years. After five years there, he started his own private practice. But he missed helping people, he said, so he went back to the town in 2003 and worked there until he was elected to the Assembly. McKevitt, 37, lives in East Meadow with his wife, Samantha, and his 15-month-old son, Connor.
The 17th Assembly District includes portions of East Meadow, North Merrick, Merrick, North Bellmore, Uniondale, Roosevelt, Garden City, Garden City Park, New Hyde Park, Mineola, Carle Place, Albertson, East Williston and Williston Park.
Comments about this story? MCaputo@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 287.
