Legislators, County Exec Trade Barbs Over Budget

A 2012 budget presented last week by Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy calling for no property tax increase and 700 layoffs is being called a "bad joke" by the leader of the Legislature.

Presiding Officer William Lindsay, D-Holbrook, on Tuesday said a preliminary review of the Legislature's Budget Review Office discovered overestimated revenue streams and shortfalls in expenditures that will tip the county executive's $120 million budget out of balance next year.

According to a Lindsay spokesman, the final report will be available in a week and a half.

“If his budget were adopted, we wouldn’t be able to plow the snow off our roads, we would have to close or severely cut health clinics, we would be unable to inspect restaurants, school cafeterias and camps to insure food safety for our children, and police numbers would fall to historic lows," Lindsay said.

According to Lindsay, the Budget Review Office found the following in Levy's budget:

• A $30 million overestimate of sales tax revenue.
• A $20 million overestimate of Health Department revenue.
• An almost $12 million overestimate of proceeds from the sale of the John J. Foley Skilled Nursing Facility.
• A $5 million overestimate of general fund property tax revenue.
• A shortfall in salaries for filled positions that were not abolished.
• A $5 million shortfall in police overtime expenses.
• A shortfall of $4.5 million in unemployment insurance for recommended layoffs.
• A shortfall of $3 million in inmate substitute housing.
• A shortfall of $2.2 million in social security payments and $2 million in terminal pay.

Lindsay was joined by Deputy Presiding Officer Vivian Viloria-Fisher, D-East Setauket; Legis. Jon Cooper, D-Lloyd's Harbor; Legis. DuWayne Gregory, D-Amityville; Legis. Wayne Horsley, D-Babylon; Legis. Ricardo Montano, D-Brentwood; Legis. Kate Browning, WF-Patchogue; and Legis. Jay Schneiderman, I-Montauk at the press conference.

Levy, however, shot back at the Democrat-endorsed group.

"For eight years, I have frozen taxes and for eight years, legislators have made the same claim. Mr. Lindsay is cagily crafting an excuse so they can raise taxes for a new county executive and claim they had no choice. This is a balanced budget that doesn't rely on speculative revenue from the state and actually implements layoffs if union concessions don't materialize," he said in a statement.

According to a Newsday report, the county executive said 464 jobs could be saved if county employees agree to collectively chip in $31 million to their health premiums. Currently, county employees do not contribute to their health care plans.