Do you have a family? If so, please tell us about them.
Wife, Debra and two sons, Kenny and Cameron. My wife and I have been residents of Wading River for 30 years. My sons still reside in our family home.

Meet The Candidate: Kenneth Rothwell For Riverhead Town Board

Kenneth T Rothwell lives with his wife, Debra, in Wading River, where they have lived for 30 years. They have two sons.

Meet The Candidates: Kenneth Rothwell For Riverhead Town Board

Ken began his career working as a Licensed Funeral Director and eventually was able to purchase his own funeral home in Southampton. A few years later, he purchased the Alexander-Rothwell Funeral Home in Wading River, allowing him to serve the residents in his hometown.

Councilman - Kenneth Rothwell

Kenneth Rothwell began his career as a licensed funeral director and purchased funeral homes in Southampton and Wading River, including the Alexander-Rothwell Funeral Home.

Staff Directory • Kenneth Rothwell - Town of Riverhead

Mr. Rothwell was first appointed to the Riverhead Town Board in 2021 for a one-year term, filling the seat left vacant by Assemblywoman Jodi Giglio. He won a full four-year term in November 2021 and was reelected in 2025. He is a licensed funeral director and has served as a volunteer firefighter with the Wading River Fire Department for over 20 years.

Riverhead GOP nominate Kenneth Rothwell for town supervisor

Ken was appointed to the Riverhead Town Board in 2021 to fill a vacant seat for one year. He won a full four-year term in November 2021 and was reelected in 2025.

2026 New York General Election

Calls for a townwide reassessment, saying development has made current property assessments unbalanced.

“The reality is Riverhead needs a new townwide assessment, but no one takes the bold steps to do that,” Mr. Rothwell said. “Some taxpayers may be hurt by a reassessment, and some may be greatly favored by a reassessment, but we have a lot of great development like on Route 58, and it’s really not a balanced assessment wise in the town.”

Rothwell pitches business approach to town government in supervisor run - Riverhead News Review

Prioritizes lowering residents' tax costs by making town departments more self-sustaining.

“I think that the number one issue at stake is going to be what we can do to lower the cost of taxes — that’s the biggest concern for residents in town. That’s going to be our main focus going forth over this year,” Mr. Rothwell told the Riverhead News-Review. “How we can make each department within the town of Riverhead more self-sustaining, so that it takes the burden away from our taxpayers. That’s what needs to be our focus going forward.”

As of October 22, 2026, Kenneth T Rothwell did not have a website or any information online.

Economy

Said his record includes improving and restoring town parks, including an ice rink, restrooms, and pickleball courts.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

Water quality and the successful relationships with local, state, and federal representative to secure grant funding. Improvement and restoration of our parks, including an ice rink, rest rooms, pickleball courts, throughout the town. I supported the increase in our police force and successfully reduced our crime rate.

Public Services

Calls for state approval of the subdivision to complete the EPCAL sale, which he says could fund town services and infrastructure.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

We need to continue to work with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to get the subdivision approval to complete the sale of EPCAL. The town could use the $40 million dollar purchase to expand our town services, build infrastructure and reduce resident property taxes. In addition, we get the EPCAL property on the tax rolls with millions of dollars in revenue each year.

Meet Candidates: Kenneth Rothwell For Riverhead Town Board

Supports a balance of 30% development and 70% preservation, using development rights that can be transferred to protect the rural corridor.

Although he said he is not pushing agritourism, Mr. Rothwell supports the philosophy of developers purchasing TDRs in other areas to balance out the development.

“Farmers can sell TDRs, but if there’s nobody to buy them, then it doesn’t become beneficial way,” Mr. Rothwell said. “[Last year,] we were telling developers to do a balance of 30% development and 70% preservation, I still stand by that. You have to protect our rural corridor.”

Councilman Ken Rothwell wants to maintain business sense if reelected to Riverhead Town Board

Housing & Urban Development

Supports continuing litigation to preserve local control over where cannabis may be sold.

He supports continuing the town’s litigation over cannabis regulations, for example, arguing that local control is a quality-of-life issue.

“If we just stand down and allow the [NYS] Office of Cannabis Management to kind of railroad us and say no longer does time, place, and manner mean anything, cannabis should be sold on every corner — that’s a quality of life issue, and we have to fight that fight,” Mr. Rothwell said.

Supported increasing the town police force.

Public Safety

Transportation & Infrastructure

Supports funding clean drinking water projects and requiring improved or alternative septic systems to protect groundwater.

What needs to be done to address water quality issues on Long Island?

I think this administration has been aggressive and successful in its plea to federal and state representatives for funding to undertake projects to expand our ability to provide residents with clean safe drinking water. Other efforts, through the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC), Suffolk County, and town building department is requirements for improved and alternative septic systems to protect our groundwater and significantly, our water resources.

Energy & the Environment

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Kenneth T Rothwell

- Prioritizes lowering residents' tax costs by making town departments more self-sustaining.

- Said his record includes improving and restoring town parks, including an ice rink, restrooms, and pickleball courts.

- Supported increasing the town police force.

As of October 22, 2026, Kenneth T Rothwell’s website did not contain information on this issue.

- Supports funding clean drinking water projects and requiring improved or alternative septic systems to protect groundwater.