Spinello, 65, of Glen Cove, is an incumbent vying for his third term. He is running on the Republican, Conservative, Independence and Reform party lines. He has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Bryant University, and is a retired business executive who’s operated a slew of businesses, including in pharmaceuticals and retail. Spinello made an unsuccessful run for mayor in 2007 before being elected to the City Council in 2011. As mayor, he is chair of the Glen Cove Industrial Development Agency and the Community Development Agency. He previously chaired the city’s annual Feast of St. Rocco for seven years — he remains a trustee for the church — and sat on the Glen Cove YMCA board of directors. He is married with one child.

Spinello’s next term would be a continuation of his current administration, where “every promise I’ve made, I’ve kept,” he said. After taking over a city in “dire financial straits,” he said his first two budgets saw a combined $3 million surplus, and he announced in early October that the city was out of deficit financing. Spinello added that a 0.5 percent average annual increase in residential taxes, paired with a nearly 10 percent increase in home values, has created equity for homeowners. The city’s development has gained momentum as well with the progression of large-scale projects such as the Village Square and Garvies Point. Garvies Point alone, Spinello said, is slated to create 1,000 jobs and bolster an economy that has seen 70 new small businesses open up during his two terms. Spinello said a central focus in the future would be identifying more affordable housing options and continuing the crackdown on illegal housing. “I’m proud of the work my team has done,” Spinello said. “Glen Cove is finally waking up from a long sleep.”

Tenke, 55, of Glen Cove, is a six-term Glen Cove councilman running on the Democratic, Working Families and Women’s Equality party lines. He graduated from Saint Leo University with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice before securing a law degree from the Thomas M. Cooley Law School at Western Michigan University. He has worked as a trial attorney for the insurance company GEICO for about 27 years, and joined the City Council in 2005 after serving on the Glen Cove Planning Board for two years. Tenke was the only Democrat re-elected to the council in 2015. He serves as the city’s liaison to the golf commission and is a Glen Cove Democratic committee member. Tenke is married and has two children.

While Tenke said he is eager to see Glen Cove return to its former status as the “commerce and cultural center of the North Shore,” he remains strongly opposed to the council’s vote to float a $97 million bond to build amenities on the Garvies Point waterfront property. The city won’t see full tax revenue for that property for 40 years, the life of the bond, he said, making it “not a good deal for the taxpayer.” Tenke believes that, as development projects in Glen Cove get underway, it is vital to simultaneously develop a game plan for attracting businesses. He proposed creating a coalition between the Downtown Business Improvement District and the Glen Cove Chamber of Commerce to make that strategizing a priority. One establishment Tenke hopes to see added is a youth or community center to give kids somewhere to congregate and play, especially during winter months. The key to success for the city’s development, and in general, he said, is listening more to residents’ concerns.