Political bosses: County merger won't work

A plan to merge Nassau and Suffolk counties could save millions of dollars in administrative costs and end duplication of services, planners, developers and budget experts said Thursday.

But political leaders from both parties said a county stretching from Elmont to Montauk was a non-starter because of the size, scope and complexities of the region.

The proposal by Long Island Association president Kevin Law still requires study of the pros and cons, but some experts saw potential -- particularly at a time when both counties have large deficits and are planning for hundreds of layoffs. Law's proposal to the LIA board on Wednesday calls for a single Long Island County governed by a single county executive and legislature, with combined police forces.

"This proposal would force us to look at Long Island for what it is -- one island hampered by artificial borders and parochial thinking," said Desmond Ryan, president of the Association for a Better Long Island, a real estate group.

Lee Koppelman, a political-science professor at Stony Brook University, said a unified sewer and water system could produce significant savings. "This would be better for both counties," said Koppelman, former director of the Long Island Planning Board.

But consolidating political power might not be wise, said Nassau Republican chairman Joseph Mondello. "A single county with such a large population could easily become unwieldy and incapable of delivering first-class services to its residents," he said.

Nassau Democratic chairman Jay Jacobs said a merger would result in only minimal administrative savings but create major logistical problems in law enforcement, management supervision and other areas. A better plan, he said, would be to eliminate water, garbage and sewer districts.

Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano said he has offered to meet with Law and "assist him with information to jump-start the process."

Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy said, "We'd be interested in seeing what further studies can reveal in terms of taxpayer savings." Nassau and Suffolk already work together to consolidate their contracts for bulk procurement.

Others, however, think Law's plan does not go far enough.

Suffolk Comptroller Joseph Sawicki Jr. prefers statehood for the Island to avoid sending billions of dollars annually to Albany. "In no way can this plan compare to the benefits of making Long Island the 51st state," he said.