Designating a seat at the table for the next generation

Are you a 20-to-34-year-old Suffolk County resident? Do you feel underrepresented in local politics? Suffolk County’s Next Generation Advisory Council is the perfect opportunity for you to make your voice heard.

The Next Generation Advisory Council will be holding a meeting on Aug. 14 at 6:30 p.m. at the William H. Rogers Building at 725 Veterans Memorial Highway in Smithtown. All Suffolk residents between the ages of 20 to 34 are welcome to attend.

The council meets once a month, bringing the younger generation together to meet with legislators to discuss and help craft proposed legislation and policies being considered by county officials that could impact the “next generation” of Suffolk residents.

The council was established in 2016 through resolution 647-2016 and has been active ever since. In 2019, resolution 1209-2019 introduced changes to the council, including expanding the age range of participants from the previous 22 through 35, to the current 20 through 34.

The council has met and successfully hosted a multitude of events in Huntington, Patchogue, and Hauppauge throughout the years to engage with and gather feedback from the “next generation” on policies and issues that affect them.

Past events, like “Happy Hour Happy Home,” a seminar for millennials on home buying and renting, have been very successful in creating a platform for young Suffolk residents to gather and give their input on policies that directly affect them.

Past meetings have also served to inspire a generation. When Anthony Piccirillo and Jason Richberg were elected to the Suffolk County Legislature, the first millennials to do so, the Next Generation Advisory Council welcomed and met with the legislators in 2020 to learn about their entry into public service and current legislation. The meeting served as a great reminder of how members of the younger generation are getting involved in government, whether by running for public office or civic engagement.

The purpose of the Aug. 14 meeting is to reinvigorate the council and introduce the meeting schedule for the year. Issues of potential impact to the next generation in Suffolk County will be discussed, and a brief survey will be conducted at the introductory meeting. All data collected from the survey and future meetings will be included in a report that the council will present to the legislature.

“In 2016, the legislature witnessed a steady decline in Long Island’s population of young people, and surveys suggested that some 70 percent of our young workers were likely to move away in the next five years,” said presiding officer Kevin McCaffrey. “We’re reinvigorating the Next Generation Advisory Council to bring together a diverse group of the county’s engaged young leaders to help craft a direction for proposals or legislation that might especially shape the future on Long Island for young professionals. I had the pleasure of selecting Sarah Zepeda, a bright, bilingual aide to Legis. Trish Bergin, as the chairperson of the council. I anticipate an interesting and thought-provoking report.”

To get involved, familiarize yourself with the inner workings of local government, and encourage positive change in your local meeting, take the first step and attend the meeting on Aug. 14.