Babylon Village Election Could Result in Something New

Babylon Village elections will be held on Tuesday, March 19th and the residents of Babylon Village have a diverse choice of candidates. There are two candidates running for Mayor and four candidates running for two trustee positions. Candidates representing two new parties, the "Vote for Babylon" party and "Babylon Strong" party will be on the ballot this year in Babylon Village.

Kathy Hoffman, a 29-year Village Resident and mother of three, announced her run for Mayor of Babylon Village as an independent candidate. Kathy is a former small business owner, and also has board leadership experience. She is a St. Joseph Parish Trustee where she serves on the Finance Council. Professionally, Kathy is a legal assistant with experience in property management, commercial real estate tax grievances, and estate work. She also has experience with fundraising, program and policy development.

Hoffman pledges to use her leadership and program development experience to bring a new voice to Babylon Village Hall. “After hearing feedback from our community, we felt there was a consensus that we’re overdue for something new. We aim to bring new voices to the table, new eyes to our budget, and fresh ideas to life,” said Kathy Hoffman.

Debbie Kolovich, a professional CPA is running for Village Trustee, also independently. She is a 20-year Village resident with experience in both the private and public sector including a brief stint at Babylon Village hall from 2011 to 2013 as a part-time contractor. “When Kathy mentioned interest for running for Mayor, I knew it was time for me to put my hat in as well. After I had the opportunity to see the Village from the inside, I knew that there was a real opportunity to bring in new ideas. I know that together, Kathy and I can bring more of Babylon resident’s needs, wants, and visions to fruition” said Debbie Kolovich.

Kolovich has over 30 years of experience in corporate finance, consulting, business development and auditing. Her expertise encompasses internal controls, financial analysis, budget prep, project management, and cost reduction. Debbie is also a 10 year member of the Babylon Breast Cancer Coalition where she served on the Board of Directors with 5 years as treasurer.

Kolovich and Hoffman, who are running on the "Vote for Babylon" line have no plans for any radical changes to the character of the Village. “What we’ve heard time and again is that what neighbors love most about Babylon is its charm. We want to preserve and promote that.” Their main priority is to bring Babylon Village into the 21st century with a more open and transparent government by regularly and actively soliciting feedback from residents on important issues. “At such a local level, and within only a 2.4 sq. mile area, it should be so easy to listen to the concerns and suggestions of Village constituents. That’s our goal.” The two plan to utilize an open-door policy and digital tools to make it easier for neighbors to give live, honest, candid feedback to elected officials.

The Vote for Babylon party has listed a few main priorities, including closely reviewing recent Village budgets, which include an increase in bond debt and a decline in surplus funding, leaving the village in a vulnerable financial position. They also plan to take a close look at the recent uptick in traffic and parking complaints from residents. “I have friends who complain about visiting me or meeting in the Village because of how long it takes to park, and the incessant ticketing that goes on here. It should be the opposite – Babylon is such an amazing place, but it’s a shame to think we’re scaring people away” said Kolovich.

Detective Michael Tenety, representing the Babylon Strong party is also running for the position of Village Trustee. Mike has lived in the Village of Babylon for 14 years. Mike and his wife Heather feel fortunate to be raising two school-aged children in Babylon’s tight-knit community. As a 13-year member of the Suffolk County Police Department and Head of Security for the Babylon Village School District, Mike is a trusted member of the community. He identifies public safety as his number one priority for the Village. "I have and will continue to make the safety of our Village priority number one," said Tenety.

"Mike brings a diverse set of skills and a different point of view, which is an important thing to have on a board," said Hoffman. "We hope he gets elected to Trustee as he would be a great addition to Village Hall."

Hoffman is running against 16-year incumbent Mayor Ralph Scordino. There are two total seats available for Trustee and four candidates running. In addition to Debbie Kolovich and Michael Tenety, incumbents Trustee Robyn Silvestri, and Trustee Anthony Davida are also running for reelection. Silvestri was appointed Trustee in 2018 and Davida has been Trustee for 16 years.