The Suffolk County Legislature recently approved an amended version of the County Executive’s 2025 Operating Budget. The legislature noted that there will be an additional $8.3 million in spending that will be offset by net revenue from Fiscal Years 2024 and 2025.
“County Executive [Ed] Romaine’s budget was fair, responsible and well-crafted, said Steve Flotteron (R-West Islip), chairman of the Legislative Operating Budget Working Group. “My colleagues and I agreed that the budget took into account our needs and bipartisan priorities, without some of the budgetary gimmicks employed in previous years.”
Flotteron noted that other county budgets in the past have relied on “one-shots” that he described as “temporary, unsustainable, or unreliable.” He also said the budget has done away with “unrealistic revenue projections.” With no legislator voting against the budget amendments, the omnibus legislation corrects overstated revenue and understated expenses, fixes technical errors, adds funding associated with the issuance of Tax Anticipation Notes, provides additional funding for Legal Aid, maintenance of Health facilities, recreational opportunities, contracted agencies, and computers for the Legislature.
Further, the measures add revenue from the Vanderbilt endowment for capital projects pursuant to local law and distributes Hotel/Motel funding to various agencies. According to the Legislature’s Budget Review Office, the 2024 estimate for sales tax is increased and the 2025 recommended revenue for interest and earnings is increased to offset the net cost of all of these actions.
Flotteron noted for example that monies will account for the hiring of new police officers, an investment in cybersecurity (following the devastating ransomware attack in 2022), and investments in personnel and employee compensation.
“Our legislative priorities for public safety, enhancing employee recruitment and retention, and aid to contract agencies providing vital services, were taken into account in a solid, fair and responsible budget,” he said. “On the heels of two bond rating increases for the County, we’re moving in the right direction.”
Flotteron also praised County Executive Ed Romaine for his fiscal responsibility which he said resulted in two bond upgrades in the first nine months of Romaine’s administration. “Our fiscal improvements – including staying under New York State’s 2% property tax cap – are all the more impressive considering dramatic cost increases in critical areas, such as mandated pension costs, health insurance and prescription drug costs, and the loss of approximately $8 million in expected revenue from red light cameras,” he said.