Brian X Foley

State Senator Brian X. Foley, a lifelong resident of the 3rd Senate District, was raised in the tradition of outstanding community service. Senator Foley was first elected to the Suffolk County Legislature in 1993, and was re-elected five times to the seat once held by his father, John Foley. While in the County Legislature, Senator Foley worked tirelessly to improve the quality of life for all of Suffolk’s residents. He successfully sponsored legislation offering tuition incentives to help alleviate shortages in the nursing and engineering fields and helped to strengthen worker protections from second-hand smoke. He served as the Chair of the Public Works Committee, where a record number of projects helped improve infrastructure and create jobs, and as the Vice Chair of the Economic Development and Education committee. During his career in the county legislature Foley was widely recognized for his leadership in the fields of healthcare, education, infrastructure, and environmental protection. He was the founder of the Environmental Quality Review Board which was responsible for bringing greater transparency and effectiveness to protection and acquisition of environmentally sensitive lands as well as preserving county farmland. Senator Foley was elected to the position of Supervisor of the Town of Brookhaven in 2005; he was re-elected in 2007. Senator Foley was instrumental in reforming Brookhaven Town government through ending the practice of doling out multi-million dollar no-bid insurance contracts to politically connected firms, selecting experienced professionals to manage departments, and initiating a one-call Constituent Response System for residents to obtain answers from town government. He also oversaw the creation of a Committee on Ethics, the first of its kind in the Town, comprised of outstanding members of the community, which established a set of ethical standards for public employees to meet the test of public scrutiny. Following the defeat of the Community Preservation Fund proposal in 2007, Senator Foley established a Blue Ribbon Panel tasked with offering ideas for alternative funding to preserve open space. In just two years as the Brookhaven Town Supervisor, Brian X. Foley cut a $15 million deficit, got the town its highest bond rating ever, created hundreds of new jobs and saved taxpayers $10 million through innovative fiscal policies. Foley’s various reforms are credited with restoring the public’s faith in town hall and ending decades of dysfunction and mismanagement. Senator Foley has also been active in the community, having served on the Brookhaven/Roe YMCA Board of Directors, the Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Advisory Board, the Patchogue Chamber of Commerce, and many other community based organizations. He is a past President of the Suffolk County Community Mediation Center and past Chairperson of the Sunrise District Boy Scouts of America. In 2004, the Bayport-Blue Point Chamber of Commerce recognized Senator Foley with their Dedicated Public Service Award. Additionally, he has been recognized as Person of the Year by the Medford Youth Athletic Association and the Farmingville Historical Society as well as the Environmentalist of the Year by the Neighborhood Network. In November, 2008, Senator Foley was elected to represent the 3rd District in the State Senate. The 3rd Senate District encompasses portions of the towns of Islip and Brookhaven and stretches from Hauppauge in the Northwest to Mastic Beach in the Southeast. It includes the hamlets of Brentwood, Central Islip, West Sayville, Sayville, Oakdale, Bayport, Blue Point, East Patchogue, North Patchogue, Brookhaven, North Bellport, Medford, Holtsville, Holbrook, and Ronkonkoma. The 3rd Senate District also covers Fire Island. Because of Sen. Foley’s reputation as a reformer in both town and county governments, he has been selected as chairman of the powerful Senate Banking Committee, despite this being his first term in office. In addition, Sen. Foley will sit on the Education, Commerce, Higher Education, Crime Victims and Corrections, Environmental Conservation, Transportation, and Elections committees. His top priorities include cutting property taxes for Suffolk’s working families, delivering education aid to our schools, alleviating the home foreclosure crisis, and providing jobs and healthcare for residents in the 3rd Senate District. Senator Foley resides in his native Blue Point with his wife Brenda and their two children. He attended St. Anthony’s High School and continued his education at St. Michael’s College in Vermont where he earned a Bachelors Degree in American Studies.