(Long Island, NY) Assemblyman Chad A. Lupinacci (R, C, I – South Huntington) and Huntington boating advocates are urging Gov. Andrew Cuomo to change course on a budget proposal which would halve state funding for Suffolk and Nassau Counties’ marine police patrols.
The funding cuts, included in Gov. Cuomo’s Executive Budget proposal, would reduce funding in both counties by $100,000.
“Along Suffolk and Nassau Counties’ vast and beautiful shorelines, marine police enforce navigational laws, crack down on intoxicated boating and patrol our North Shore bodies of water like the Long Island Sound – a national tourist destination,” Lupinacci said. “Reduced funding for these essential and lifesaving services would prove harmful to the safety of all of Long Island’s boaters. I urge Gov. Cuomo to reconsider cutting funding from our maritime law enforcement.”
Jackie Martin, Commodore of the Greater Huntington Council of Yacht and Boating Clubs, an organization that includes 22 member clubs and represents more than 4,500 boating families, said the cuts could undermine efforts undertaken by the Council, the Town of Huntington and Suffolk County lawmakers to enhance maritime education and increase boating safety in and around the waters of Huntington Harbor.
Since 2013, the Council has hosted an annual Safe Boating Week, which includes free or reduced cost boating courses, vessel inspections and community events.
“At a time when local efforts are reaping rewards, we should be increasing, not slashing, the flow of resources that will make New York’s waters safer,” Martin said. “I urge Gov. Cuomo to reconsider this potentially harmful cut which could hinder these successful collaborative efforts.”
“As we continue with budget negotiations, I will fight to ensure the men and women who patrol our shores have the funding they need to do so,” Lupinacci concluded.
