The government bulldog as your fiscal watchdog.
In the 2007 general election, John M. Kennedy Jr. was re-elected to the Suffolk County Legislature with Democratic cross-endorsement, support on the Republican, Conservative and Independence lines and an overwhelming 75% of the vote. In almost every general election after that, he has garnered similar levels of support from the voters.
In a 2011 endorsement for his re-election to the 12th Legislative District, Newsday called John “a pragmatic, independent thinker” the kind that Suffolk needs.
In John’s capacity as the 12th District Legislator and Minority Leader, he served on four committees: Budget and Finance, Economic Development, Public Safety, and Ways and Means. These committees are vital to the budgetary and fiscal health of Suffolk County. Over his ten years as a District Legislator, John passed pivotal legislation benefitting our veterans, preserving local open space, and protecting our groundwater and community ecosystems.
John was first elected Suffolk County Comptroller in November of 2014. As Comptroller, John is the Chief Fiscal Officer, charged with auditing county departments and nonprofit agencies funded by the county. His office also processes $35 million of payroll bi-weekly for 11,000 Suffolk County employees and handles over 235,000 county invoices annually.
On January 1st of 2016 John also took on the powers and duties of the County Treasurer.
John knows the system of revenue flow; where and how your tax dollars are spent. John also has a clear-eyed view of the county’s problems, both fiscally and operationally. John worked for more than 25 years in the county executive’s office, the county clerk’s office where he directed 130 employees, as a high-ranking member of the Legislature and now as your County Comptroller and County Treasurer.
John has been a proven fiscal watchdog. He has sponsored legislation specifically tailored to create new revenue and cut spending while maintaining critical County services, all with no general fund tax increase.
John’s government priorities have reflected his values; values that were instilled in him by his mother Joan and his late father, Jack Kennedy, former head of the Nassau-Suffolk Building Trades Council. As a public servant, John recognizes that difficult times require elected officials who are willing to approach the communities needs creatively.
A lifelong county resident, John lives in Nesconset with wife Leslie, Suffolk County Legislator for the 12th Legislative district. They have four adult children and seven grandchildren.
John Kennedy holds an MBA in Finance and Capital Budgeting as well as a Juris Doctorate from St. John’s University.
His experience and education make him our best chance to #SaveSuffolk.
