(HAUPPAUGE, NY) The Suffolk County Legislature’s bipartisan Capital Budget Working Group has put together a number of amendments to County Executive Steve Bellone’s proposed capital program for 2014 to 2016 that reduce serial bond capital spending in 2014 to $12 million less than in the current adopted program this year and reduces the proposed three-year spending by more than $87 million.
“We worked together in the bipartisan manner that has long defined the County Legislature to create a truly improved capital program,” said Legislator Jay Schneiderman, chairman of the Budget Working Group. “We went over the capital budget line by line, with an in depth study of every project with the aim of cutting county borrowing. We have managed to cut overall capital spending significantly, while restoring some key projects that will address important infrastructure needs while providing significant jobs for county residents.
“We set new priorities, delaying some projects and pushing other important projects forward. Our main priorities were public safety, key infrastructure improvements and Hurricane Sandy repairs.”
County Legislature Presiding Officer William J. Lindsay praised the work of the Capital Budget Working Group under Legislator Schneiderman’s leadership.
“Hard decisions had to be made and the working group made those decisions,” said PO Lindsay. “Reducing our borrowing by $87 million over the next three years is a truly significant achievement.”
Deputy Presiding Officer Wayne Horsley said reducing borrowing for the capital program by $87 million was an important accomplishment with Suffolk County still facing extraordinarily difficult financial circumstances.
“Financial concerns are our number one priority,” said DPO Horsley. “We have addressed those concerns but we have also pushed forward important projects that will address key infrastructure needs. And we have also provided funding to expand sewering projects, and expanding our sewer system is the key component in boosting economic development.”
Legislator Schneiderman thanked the Legislature’s Budget Review Office and its director, Robert Lipp, for all their help in crafting the capital budget amendment.
“Everyone in the Budget Review Office worked long and worked hard to help us in devising this capital plan,” said Legislator Schneiderman. “It is their hard work that made this plan possible.”
The main reason the Working Group was able to decrease the total spending in the capital program was because capital spending for additional jail space was put off. The Capital Plan Working Group estimates that fewer additional jail cells may be needed than originally anticipated and that the required number may be lower than originally mandated by the state.
The number of inmates in Suffolk County has remained relatively steady over the last five years and the county recently completed on a new state-mandated 420-bed jail in Yaphank at a cost of $289,855,270. An additional 120 beds will be reopened in 2014 or 2015 at the old Yaphank jail, as renovations are completed.
“We can safely put off the construction of a new jail until it becomes clear whether or not we will even need it,” said DPO Horsley.
