Freeport Mayor Robert T. Kennedy: Making the Job Look Easy

Robert T. Kennedy, mayor of the Incorporated Village of Freeport, makes his job look easy. He’s personable; statistics and facts about Freeport roll off his tongue; and he seems never to meet a resident he doesn’t know.

On a recent morning, an upset resident came in with a ticket that she thought was given unfairly. She was hoping for an appointment with the mayor. Instead, she got a sit-down with him and the chief of police. They answered her questions and her concerns were addressed; in this case, better signage regarding where to park and when was needed.

Kennedy’s predecessors didn’t have an open-door policy. In fact, getting an appointment was an arduous process, one that didn’t mesh with Kennedy’s impressions of a mayor’s responsibility to his constituents.

“That’s why I ran for trustee, because I needed to speak with the mayor and I couldn’t get access,” says Kennedy, who has been mayor since 2013. “A mayor has to be accessible. If a resident or business has a problem, we have a resolution. I make a list every day of issues to resolve, and verify its completion.

Each Tuesday from noon to 4:30 p.m., Kennedy exercises that open-door policy.

“Any resident can come in,” says Kennedy, who tackles problems big and small in these sessions. “You don’t have to have an appointment.”

Kennedy, who owns a successful engineering and HVAC company serving the tri-state area, says that a good mayor must be a good businessman. His tenure is a testament to his philosophy.

In the past 10 years, Freeport’s reserves have gone from $1.2 million to $39 million. The police force has increased to 107 from 72. Freeport became the first municipality in New York State to mandate body cameras. His administration has accomplished this without raising taxes during his 10-year tenure.

“We’ve also replaced 102 roads, and absorbed every increase in workman’s comp, disability, medical, dental and retirement,” says Kennedy, who is a member of the Nassau County and Town of Hempstead Industrial Development agencies, is past president of the New York Conference of Mayors and current member of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

After his time in the U.S. Navy where he reached the rank of MM3 class petty officer, Kennedy was hired by Starrett Housing Corp as a Local 3 electrician. He worked his way up to vice president of technical services for Starrett Property Services, where he was responsible for maintaining 300 residential and commercial high-rise buildings, supervised 3,000 employees and administered an annual budget of around $265 million.

That business background has helped him to see the big picture when it comes to managing Freeport. The most diverse village in New York State, Freeport has its own 50 megawatt power plant powered by a 747 jet engine that sends electricity to the grid. The Village maintains its own underground water distribution system, sanitary sewers, storm sewers, overhead wiring, substations, transformers and disconnects. There also are 14 wells in Freeport that provide domestic water to 45,000 residents and businesses.

Kennedy could easily be described as a get-it-done mayor. He also isn’t averse to stepping in when needed. For example, Guy Lombardo Avenue near the famed Nautical Mile had suffered continued nuisance flooding, ruining lawns, trapping residents in their homes and causing property damage whenever there were astronomical high tides. Kennedy designed the catch basin pumping stations, preventing ocean water from flooding the related streets. The Village already has nearly eradicated flooding in one area along the canal, and they’re preparing to implement the new catch basin pumping stations in other affected areas. It is another example of Kennedy and the Village of Freeport’s determination to always focus on residents’ quality of life.

Kennedy grew up in Brooklyn and Staten Island. He is a Vietnam veteran, a licensed U.S. Coast Guard captain, a licensed FAA pilot, a member of the American Legion, U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, the Long Island Regional Planning Board and the NAACP. He moved to Freeport 30 years ago because he liked the thought of living in a waterfront community. He and his wife, Mary, who have been married 44 years, have three sons, Robert, Vincent and Michael, and seven grandchildren.

“We’re proud that we provided what our constituents need without raising taxes,” Kennedy says. “We’ve brought in a lot of economic development in addition to working with the Town of Hempstead’s IDA.”

Quality of life is also high on Kennedy’s priorities for the Village, which is 30% white, 30% Hispanic, 30% African-American and 10% mixed. It boasts acres and acres of parks throughout the 4 square miles that encompass the Village, which has a population of 48,000 and 12,000 residential homes.

“One of our best-kept secrets is our recreation center,” says Kennedy. “It has five pools, an ice hockey rink, tennis courts, fitness center, basketball courts and a senior center.”

Another area of pride is the Armory building, which is being transformed into a commercial facility that will house a trade center, Rising Stars Youth Foundation (a sports complex), a childcare facility and other businesses. The updated Armory is expected to net the Village about $250,000 annually from license agreements for using the space. All in a day’s work for Kennedy.

While his workday generally extends well beyond the usual eight hours, he always considers it part of his obligations as mayor to participate in the things that make life just a little more joyous. You’ll find him at milestone birthday celebrations, ribbon cuttings, veterans’ events and school graduations, to name just a few of the opportunities he takes to meet residents or support local businesses.

Freeport isn’t the only waterfront community that holds a special place in his heart. He also feels at home in Montauk, where he docks his boat during the summers.

“I love Montauk,” says Kennedy, who is an avid fisherman. “It has great restaurants, a beautiful boating community and great people.

“It really is a great place to visit but I’d rather live in Freeport — the boating Capital of the Northeast,” Kennedy says.

Todd Shapiro is an award-winning publicist and associate publisher of Dan’s Papers.