Neil Foley has built his reputation as a public servant over the past 10 years as a Brookhaven Town Councilman representing the 5th District. Brookhaven Town Supervisor appointed him as his Deputy Supervisor earlier this year. He took some time out of his demanding schedule to speak with us.
Fire Island & Great South Bay News (FIN): Councilman Foley, you’ve held the 5th District Brookhaven Town Councilman position for 10 years. A lot happened over that decade. What achievements are you most proud of?
Councilman Neil Foley (NF): Ten years. Wow! It’s a great honor to run for office, but when you win and get the job, and there’s no such thing as councilman school, you rely on your feelings and hard work, and there’s always a learning curve. Brookhaven, geographically, is the largest town in New York state. It’s larger than Nassau County in land mass. My district is two – one is on the mainland, and the eastern end of Fire Island is the other.
My job is to be their voice, regardless of their wealth or political affiliation. Land use is one of my most significant responsibilities as a councilman. The last thing I want to do is affect anybody’s home values, as a home is the most significant asset most people own. I must consider what can happen if there are zone changes.
There have been some tough days, but there have been more good ones than tough ones. The hardest part about this job is balancing work and family life. I’m also a senior vice president at New York Cancer and Blood Specialist, so I have two jobs, plus my wife and four beautiful children. It’s been a great ride.
FIN: Did your role change much when you were appointed Deputy Supervisor earlier this year?
NF: It added more responsibility. I sign contracts, attend more meetings, and am involved in larger decisions. Brookhaven is the size of a city with over 500,000 people. So, it’s quite a responsibility, but I enjoy it.
FIN: Before Memorial Day Weekend, you spoke passionately at the podium about your involvement with the Beach Renourishment Project at the Fire Island Pines Property Owners Association (FIPPOA) meeting at Whyte Hall. You called it one of the high points of your career. Can you expand on that?
NF: Everything we do on Fire Island is difficult because of where it is. It sits between two vast bodies of salt water. We must address many issues when Mother Nature wants to throw a storm at us. When we started to see these storms come fast and furious over the last couple of years, they can stay for two or three days. The only protection we have is our beach. If not that beach, we would lose many, many homes. Anybody who lost a house on Fire Island knows it takes several years to rebuild if they allow you to rebuild. After 10 years, I’ve become very close with all the Fire Island community leaders. It’s usually about a four-year-long process when we dredge stand offshore from our island. So, when we realized we were in a dire situation, the leaders said, well, what can we do?
The first miracle happened because a dredge company was on the island’s west end, and they were doing dredging. Had there not been a dredge there, this couldn’t have happened. The second miracle was that all levels of government were talking to each other. We have different political affiliations that represent the island. Senator Schumer, you had Congressman Garbarino, Governor Hochul, Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine, Brookhaven Town Supervisor Dan Panico, and myself. It just was nothing short of amazing. When people talk to and respect each other, things get done.
We would’ve lost a dozen houses in Fire Island Pines alone if we didn’t do this. There’s a mindset, and some people will say, ‘Who cares about Fire Island? It doesn’t affect the mainland.’ They’re wrong! Fire Island is the first line of defense against hurricanes and superstorms. Without Fire Island, the South Shore Long Island would be affected tremendously. It’s a better bet to ensure Fire Island is protected. When I spoke that day in the Pines, I received a standing ovation, which moved me. Speaking about it makes me emotional now.
FIN: Let’s segue into my next question about the Sunrise Wind turbine field slated to be constructed offshore of Smith Point. What are your thoughts on it?
NF: Elected officials make decisions about today, but we also make decisions for the future. As a country, we are starting to move away from fossil fuels. Wind is a very significant source of energy. If you look at Europe, they have tons of wind farms there. I wouldn’t call it free energy. Nothing’s free in this world, but it is clean energy, and I support it tremendously.
FIN: What was it like being the Grand Marshall at the Davis Park 4th of July parade?
NF: It was both surreal and an honor. I was also the Grand Marshall of the Patchogue 4th of July Parade that day.
FIN: Oh wow, double duty! How did you feel about being the Grand Marshal of two parades in one day?
NF: I don’t take anything for granted. It’s an honor. I’m very blessed and honored.
