3 new legislative resolutions could oust Dormer

Suffolk Police Commissioner Richard Dormer recently survived two legislative resolutions that could have led to his ouster, but next week he will face three.

The legislature's Ways and Means Committee Wednesday approved two county charter amendments dealing with County Executive Steve Levy's top appointees.

One bill, sponsored by Legis. Thomas Cilmi (R-Bay Shore), would require that all commissioners including Dormer, who serve at the pleasure of the county executive, face reconfirmation by the county legislature every four years. A second bill, sponsored by Legis. Jon Cooper (D-Lloyd Harbor), would permit county lawmakers to fire a commissioner for cause after charges and a hearing.

Both new resolutions will come up for a vote at the legislature's next meeting in Riverhead Tuesday, along with a resolution tabled last week to fire Dormer.

Levy assailed the measures: "We've now seen four bills to fire a commissioner who has cut crime and costs and zero bills from legislators to cut a dime to deal with the county's budget shortfall." Dormer did not return calls for comment.

Lynne Bizzarro, chief deputy county attorney, also questioned the legality, saying the measures encroach on powers of the county executive to have commissioners serve at his pleasure. County legislative counsel George Nolan said the proposals do not restrict the county executive from removing commissioners, it just gives lawmakers a periodic chance to reconfirm them.

Dormer has been under fire from lawmakers for months over clashes involving staffing and deployment of officers.

Cooper said the two new bills have bipartisan backing and a strong chance of passage. "These two bills complement each other and fill in the gaps left by the other . . . it takes us 80 percent there" he said.

Cilmi said his resolution is not directed at Dormer or at the Levy administration, but simply aimed to improve accountability of commissioners to the legislature as an equal branch of government.

Last week, lawmakers defeated a Cooper bill giving Dormer and the heads of probation, fire rescue and emergency services five-year terms. But it would have also required them to undergo immediate reconfirmation, a proposal opposed by Suffolk Conservative chairman Edward Walsh. They also tabled a second Cooper bill to fire Dormer outright, a measure Cooper says has little chance of passage because lawmakers are worried about who Levy might choose next. What makes Cilmi's bill different from Cooper's fixed-term measure is that it would affect all "at will" commissioners, and the law would not require reconfirmation of current commissioners until 2012.