Suffolk Executive Edward P. Romaine delivers State of the County, with focus on infrastructure, taxes

Suffolk County Executive Edward P. Romaine will deliver his second State of the County address Tuesday, vowing to make sewer improvements, hold the line on taxes and improve county finances.

Romaine, a Republican entering the second year of his four-year term, is expected to outline priorities for the next year, such as building a new site for the county medical examiner and Suffolk police crime lab.

"We continue to make great strides in Suffolk County government, working every day to make it a safer and more affordable place to live, work and play," Romaine said in a statement Monday. "I’m looking forward to addressing my colleagues in the legislature about the state of our county and the successes we have seen through working together for the benefit of the taxpayers."

The county approved a $4 billion county budget in November, including about a $50 tax increase for most homeowners that is within the 2% tax cap.

Romaine’s office said the county will keep taxes within that 2% cap  in next year’s budget and seek to reduce debt. The county is also attempting to further improve its bond rating to reduce interest rates on future borrowing, Romaine’s office said.

Romaine is also seeking improvements to the county’s Department of Social Services, public safety, roads and infrastructure.

During last year’s address, Romaine called for fixing the county’s aging infrastructure, including expanding sewer systems in the county. He has said he eventually wants to replace the county’s police headquarters in Yaphank.

The county approved a three-year $2.3 billion capital improvement budget in July that included plans to build a county jail for an influx of youthful offenders, Newsday previously reported. Romaine also spearheaded an effort to introduce a new tax to fund sewer projects through a November ballot referendum. 

Democratic Minority Leader Jason Richberg (D-West Babylon) will provide the rebuttal to Romaine’s address. He said he wants to hear Romaine call for unity, while the county faces uncertainty in state and federal funding. Richberg said he was concerned about funding cuts to social programs including nonprofits, mental health and addiction services.

"The reality is a number of our funding comes from the state and federal government that could be affected. We made our budget not knowing what that would look like," Richberg said. "I want to hear how we’re going to keep Long Island affordable and solve these problems."

Suffolk County Presiding Officer Kevin McCaffrey (R-Lindenhurst) said he expected the county executive to continue to focus on public safety and hiring police officers.

In the most recent budget, the county approved the costs of hiring 95 police officers to offset planned retirements.

McCaffrey said the county executive and the legislature would focus on affordability, improving traffic safety, holding taxes below the tax cap and improving water quality by expanding an Oakdale sewer project, paid for with $40 million by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

McCaffrey said the county was watching funding on the state and federal level and expected some funding to be restored that may have lapsed in continuing resolutions.

"We’re always concerned, but the state looks like their budget is in good shape and we have to watch it on the federal level," McCaffery said. "I don’t think any of our local representatives will allow cuts being talked about in these doomsday scenarios being blown of proportion."

By John Asbury

john.asbury@newsday.comJohnAsbury

John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.