Letter to the Editor: James Coschignano, Board of Fire Commissioners Melville FD Candidate

The following Letter to the Editor was submitted to the Half Hollow Hills Patch by James Coschignano, who is running for re-election to the Board of Fire Commissioners for the Melville Fire District. Elections will be held next week:

On December 13, residents of Melville will go to the Melville Fire Department’s headquarters, 531 Sweet Hollow Road, from 1:00 PM to 9 PM to cast their votes for the future of the Melville Fire District. James Coschignano is asking for a vote of confidence to continue his 24years of protecting the community.

“We are in an unprecedented time of growth and challenge, and this is the time when strong management and experienced leadership can make the difference between maintaining a steady course and financial disaster,” he explained.

Coschignano (KOSH-chig-nano), a life-long resident of Melville who has served in the unpaid position for 24 years, is concerned about the challenges facing the community. Melville has become a key corporate center, with a rising population density, and the Melville Fire Department is one of the busiest fire and rescue departments in Suffolk County.

“Although the Melville Fire District is the busiest in the Town of Huntington, our Fire Tax is among the lowest in the Town of Huntington,” says Coschignano “This has been one of my personal priorities, and I am proud of it.”

The Fire Tax also includes the Rescue Department, which is actually a busier department than Fire. In some townships, an additional tax must be paid for Rescue.

The Board of Fire Commissioners is charged with making serious financial and policy decisions about how the MFD is run, and just like the firefighters and EMTs, they are all volunteers. For 24 years, James Coschignano has drawn on his professional experience in management and many years as an active volunteer with the department with one focus: to protect the people of Melville.

“We have to make sure that we keep the right talent at the table,” he commented. “The budgets that our Fire Commissioners deal with are large, and poor decisions could easily undo everything that we have worked for in the last 24 years.”

Coschignano is a retired Operations Manager for TRACON (Terminal Radar Approach Control Facility) for the Federal Aviation Administration. His father, James Coschignano, Sr., was also a dedicated volunteer with the Melville Fire Department. Coschignano, Jr., and his wife Marilyn are lifelong residents of Melville.

The Board of Fire Commissioners is made up of five people with business and management experience that are qualified for the position. Being a Commissioner requires experience in managing people, overseeing complex financial issues that have short and long term impacts, and always keeping an eye on the bottom line to keep fire taxes at a reasonable level.

“I have worked very hard in the last twenty four years to maintain the high quality of protection for the people of Melville and those who come here to work, shop or relax. I hope that they will vote for me on December 13th so that we can continue to maintain this level of fiscal responsibility and excellence.”

Any registered voter who resides in the Melville Fire District is eligible to vote in the December 13th election, which takes place on Tuesday, December 13 from 1:00 PM – 9:00 PM at 531 Sweet Hollow Road, Melville, NY 11747.

Any candidate is welcome to submit a Letter to the Editor to paige.mcatee@patch.com

Images courtesy of James Coschignano