Paul Pontieri

Paul Pontieri, a 1965 graduate of Patchogue-Medford High School, has served the Village of Patchogue for 20 years. He was elected mayor in March 2004 after serving 11 years as a village trustee. During his is tenure as mayor, the Village of Patchogue has experienced a revitalization spurred on by over $450 million dollars in public and private investment. Mayor Pontieri has established Patchogue as a successful model of “smart growth,” with a number of major economic development initiatives that he and his administration have put in place.

During his 12 years as mayor, the village has focused on putting “feet on Main Street.” Within walking distance of Main Street, there have been more than 700 residential units constructed, of which 150 are work-force housing. Currently under construction and scheduled for construction are 163 market-rate town houses. The new village development includes 291 apartments, 50,000 square feet of retail and 17,000 square feet of office, all of which could not have happened without the upgrading of the village’s wastewater treatment plant. With this $11 million upgrade, the capacity of the plant grew from 500,000 to 800,000 gallons per day, thereby allowing for greater density and economic growth.

A lifelong resident of Patchogue Village, Mayor Pontieri is a retired school administrator and has owned his own business. In August 2009 he was appointed Deputy Brookhaven Town Supervisor for Economic Development, a position he held for two years. He is the governor’s appointee to the board of Suffolk County Community College, a former member of the board of the Long Island Regional Planning Council, Executive Board Member of the New York Conference of Mayors, Board Chairman of the Independent Group Homes and Living (IGHL), and board member and past President of the Suffolk County Village Officials.

Mayor Pontieri has been honored by the Long Island Housing Partnership, the Regional Plan Association and Vision Long Island for his accomplishments in the revitalization of downtown Patchogue and its commitment to providing affordable housing for its residents. This year the Suffolk County Planning Commission awarded the Village of Patchogue its first Village Innovation Award.

Community ranks high on Mayor Pontieri’s priority list, so it was with great sadness that his village fell under an unwelcome spotlight because of the hate-crime killing of Marcelo Lucero in 2008. The Mayor earned national recognition for his handling of the tragedy, and eight years later, the people of Patchogue are continuing to show how a diverse community can become a model community.