District 2

Biography

Councilwoman Jane Bonner was born and raised in Northport and has been a Rocky Point resident for over 30 years. She is the proud mother of daughter Elizabeth (husband Lance) and her son David. Her advocacy for the people of northeastern Brookhaven Town began with her service as Rocky Point Civic Association President, Rocky Point School Board Member for three years, and as Legislative Aide and constituent services liaison to former Suffolk County Legislator Dan Losquadro. In these roles, she was able to help solve problems residents faced in their neighborhoods, and assist them in navigating through town, county, state and federal agencies. In 2007, she was first elected Councilwoman for Brookhaven’s Second District, where she continues to serve today.

The Councilwoman remains a leading voice for the residents of her district and Brookhaven Town. In her tenure in office she has forwarded initiatives to benefit residents, small businesses, seniors, children, veterans and the environment. Her actions on behalf of the constituents that she serves have a positive impact on the community, and she continues to work to help make the Town of Brookhaven a better place to live, work, and do business for everyone. She successfully secured a federal grant through FEMA totaling $1.4 million for shoreline stabilization and restoration efforts, $3 million in funding from New York State to fund the restoration of the Mt. Sinai Harbor Jetty Restoration, a $1.8 million NYS grant for sidewalk and roadway improvements to North Country Road in Shoreham, and a $500,000 DASNY grant to install sidewalks in Miller Place. As Town Board Liaison to the Finance Department, Councilwoman Bonner has worked tirelessly to maintain the Town’s Standard & Poors and Mooney’s AAA Credit Ratings, to cut wasteful spending and save taxpayer dollars by supporting fiscally conservative budgets that hold the line on taxes, provide superior services, plan for the future of our town, and protect our taxpayers.

As the past president of the Rocky Point Revitalization and Beautification Committee, her vision for a better future through responsible planning positively impacted the community. Through these efforts, she secured more than a half million dollars in grant money for the Rocky Point downtown business corridor, making Main Street more attractive and improving the quality of life for all residents. Additionally, her involvement in developing the Route 25A Corridor Study helped to achieve smart growth development along the most traversed road in the district and prevented overdevelopment while embracing small businesses and preventing the threat of additional big box stores.

With a district that includes many miles of shoreline along the Long Island Sound, protecting environmental quality has also been a major focus of the Councilwoman. With help from Congressman Lee Zeldin, she secured federal funding that was used to reconstruct stormwater and drainage structures across her district. The several infrastructure projects that she has supported along the north shore protect the water quality of the Long Island Sound, Mount Sinai Harbor, Wading River Duck Pond and more. She was instrumental in establishing a new solar code that bans clear cutting trees for solar farms anywhere in the Town. She led the effort to rescue the Nature Center at Cedar Beach from demolition and created an educational environmental learning center for children, and preserved hundreds of acres of land as open space to be enjoyed for generations to come. Councilwoman Bonner also proudly supported several groups who have organized beach clean-ups at Cedar Beach in Mt. Sinai that additionally provided residents education regarding safe environmental practices. 

Councilwoman Bonner proudly supports several organizations and causes in their efforts to support individuals and groups in the community. Examples include, the Polar Plunge, an event that she has participated in for over 10 years, where supporters take to the Long Island Sound in the winter to raise money to support the athletes of the Special Olympics of New York, Cellphones for Soldiers, a program where unused cellphones are recycled and used to provide those serving overseas access to communicate with their loved ones back home, and National Night Out, in partnership with the Suffolk County Sheriff, an event to build community relationships with our local law enforcement officers and officials. 

Jane Bonner has also remained a steadfast activist in improving the opioid epidemic, which has tragically caused a great deal of pain to families in Brookhaven. She sponsored a Town Code Amendment which established additional restrictions to vape shops and indoor smoking establishments, that helps keep dangerous substances away from children in the community. She also led an underage drinking prevention campaign with support of local pizzerias, and remains a strong partner to the WAR on Addiction and Hoops for Hope organizations, both of which are local fundraising efforts to benefit Hope House Ministries and increase access to rehabilitation services for those impacted by addiction in our community.

Councilwoman Jane Bonner will continue to work to help make Brookhaven Town a better place to live for everyone.