Candidate Profile Anthony Como

Anthony Como believes experience and trust are going to determine the winner of the special election for the 30th City Council District and that is why he believes he will be the winner.
Como, who started his political career as an aide to State Senator Serphin Maltese, has served as a prosecutor in the Queens District Attorney’s Office, counsel to Maltese and most recently a Commissioner for the Queens Office of Board of Elections, before resigning that position to concentrate fully on the June special election.
Como said he has learned many things from Maltese, who along with the Queens County Republican Party endorsed Como for the June election, including how to work with colleagues on both sides of the political aisle - a tool he said will benefit him and the district should he win the election.
“Together with what we can do for the community is tremendous,” Como said. “It is a great community, but having representatives that work so well together on a city and state level is a tremendous asset to everyone in that district.”
Although Como believes there is not one particular issue that was most important in his campaign - he stressed improvements to education, public safety and the economy as all vital issues that needed to be addressed - he also spoke about finding solutions to overdevelopment that is occurring in the neighborhoods.
“You have to give the Buildings Department the tools and the money it needs to fight adequately the issue,” Como said.
Como, who is a lifelong Queens resident and currently lives in Middle Village, has been actively involved in many community and civic organizations including serving on the board of directors of the Peter Cardella Senior Center in Ridgewood, a member of the Glendale and Middle Village Property Owners, the Middle Village/Maspeth Civic Association and a number of community groups.
“You can’t say you’re good for the job if you haven’t been involved lately, and you haven’t been doing things in the area you want to represent,” Como said.
Meanwhile, Como believes that rebuilding the public’s trust in the people that represent them in government is just as important for this election.
“You have a City Council that unfortunately has been plagued by a few black eyes,” Como said. “You have to know that all these scandals shouldn’t be expected and doesn’t have to be expected.”
The June 3 special election will choose a replacement for former City Councilmember Dennis Gallagher, but the winner will only serve until November of 2009, when another election is held.