It's Been an Honor to Serve

After serving over 12 years as a Suffolk County Legislator, I want to extend my deepest gratitude to the many people I have worked with who have provided services and support to Suffolk County’s 1.5 million residents, as I leave office due to term limits. A special thanks goes to my staff Dorothy Cavalier, Jennifer Satchell and Caroline Dunn, for their outstanding dedication and commitment to our residents. It has been an honor and pleasure, and at times a challenge, to be in public office, but the experience has been worth every second. In 2011, I decided to run for county legislator because I wanted to do more to help people. In my heart, I knew that all the work I had done in my community was going to lead to more important initiatives, and it has.

I have been a fulltime, hands-on legislator, partnering with local, county, state, and federal elected officials, as well as organizations, labor unions, agencies, departments, utilities, businesses, industry associations, and community residents to advance projects, programs, initiatives, and government policy. The most important job as an elected official is providing constituent services and keeping a reign on taxes. When I began my legislative term, the county was over $500 million in debt. As I leave, not only has the county’s bond rating increased but the county has a surplus.

Many of my legislative initiatives have focused on public safety, from addressing our dangerous roads to going after drug dealers who have contributed to the opioid epidemic. It has been a privilege to partner with Suffolk County’s law enforcement on many projects including Suffolk County’s School Active Violence Emergency (SAVE) Hotline, that provides a direct link to our Emergency 911 Call Center for schools experiencing a crisis.

As Chairwomen of Suffolk County’s Addiction Prevention and Support Advisory Panel, I facilitated discussion on what the county is doing, and what the county could do to be more effective in dealing with the opioid and addiction epidemic. Prevention, education, treatment, rehabilitation, enforcement, and the court system were focused discussion topics.

Road Safety has always been one of my top priorities. The number one complaint in my office throughout the years has been… potholes, not surprisingly. With both NYS Rt. 25 and NYS Rt. 25A going through my district, I continued to advocate to all levels of government to fix and repair our dangerous roads. I’ve been successful with adding additional lights and signage including a red light at Ridge Road, increasing the number of crossing guards near schools, and producing the School Traffic Safety Report to identify problem traffic areas. In addition, I spearheaded the North Shore Rail Trail, a 10-mile recreation path from Mt. Sinai to Wading River, that provides a safer alternative for walking, jogging, running, and biking. The path links the communities together and provides economic support for the businesses.

My office partnered with police to facilitate many Neighborhood Watch Groups, which is the best way to address local crime. We met with civic associations and local neighborhoods to focus on areas of elevated crime, and found it was usually one individual that was committing multiple crimes. If you see something, say something!

Legislator Sarah Anker File Photo

In addition to public safety, quality of life projects enhances our communities. Working with the Economic Development Department and local not-for-profits, I facilitated the Summer Concert Series enjoyed by all. Partnering with the Environmental Land Acquisition Departments, I facilitated the Acquisition of Open Space and Farmland Development Rights. Over that past 12 years, I have supported the acquisition of over 2,500 acres of open space including expanding Chandler Estate, Cordwood Landing, Little Portion Friary, and Middle Island County Parks.

Suffolk County has the largest number of veterans in New York State and as the daughter of a disabled Navy Veteran, I partnered with Suffolk County’s Office for Veteran’s Services, to create the Veterans Resource Guide that provides information on food, housing, and health services. Having one of the largest senior populations in my district, I partnered with Suffolk County’s Office for the Aging to produce the Senior Resource Guide, which is filled with valuable information on senior services including Meals on Wheels, free carpentry for income eligible seniors, scam information and senior discounts.

Legislator Anker with her children Josh, Erica and Rachel. File Photo

Technology is a vital form of communication in getting information to the public. Partnering with the Suffolk County Police Department, I facilitated the creation of the website, www.scpdscamalert.org, to address the high scam crimes senior citizens experience. Partnering with Suffolk County’s Health Department and Information Technology Department, I facilitated the website, www.suffolkstopbullying.org, to address bullying in schools and teen suicide, www.suffolkstopaddiction.org, to address substance abuse and mental health.

Twenty years ago, I created a not-for-profit to address the high local cancer rates and the connection it had to our environment. We now know that there are chemicals in our air, water and soil that affect our health. Working to address the issue, I have been a member of Suffolk County’s Cancer Prevention and Health Support Panel for over 20 years. After attending multiple 9-11 memorial ceremonies and hearing from vets sickened by agent orange, we cannot forget our responsibility to help those that have experienced illness due to environmental contamination.

As a former grassroots advocate, and not afraid of fiercely fighting to protect our families, I understand the underlying truth that when your goal is for the good of others, we all win.

Sarah Anker

Suffolk County Legislator