Suffolk treasurer says he has yet to back merger referendum

Newly appointed Suffolk Treasurer Barry Paul may have indirectly slipped last week on the issue of whether he intends to back a GOP resolution for a new referendum to move up to Jan. 1 the merger of his office and the comptroller.

The slip came when the treasurer asked for a year extension of an existing $475,000 contract with a firm called Tyler Technologies which provides tax history and collection data for the county.

He said he was asking for the extension without seeking a new request for proposals should the merger timeline be moved up. "We want them to be able to go a different route if they want to," he said.

Asked later if it was an endorsement of the referendum, Paul said, "Not at all this is just to provide flexibility." Of an endorsement, he added, "You all have to wait for that."