Analysts: Levy's 2011 budget riskier than past budgets

Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy's proposed 2011 budget overstates potential ticket revenue from new red light cameras by $16.6 million, legislative budget analysts said Monday.

The office of budget review said Levy's proposed $2.7 billion budget is "more risky" than past spending packages because it relies on selling assets - like the nursing home and industrial property in Yaphank - which the legislature has not approved and revenue like the red light cameras that are "considerably overstated."

Presiding Officer William Lindsay (D-Holbrook) said the report "reinforces my initial concerns about speculative revenue and overly optimistic revenue projections made by the county executive."

But Levy called the claim of a riskier budget "nonsense," saying his revenue estimates including the red light cameras are solid. But he added it requires lawmakers to make "tough decisions" to solve the county's fiscal woes.

The county executive called on the legislature to open its private budget deliberations to the public or abide by the county law which requires 48-hour notice for budget amendments, a rule the presiding officer waived in recent years. He said lawmakers are considering cutting back on buying police cars in those sessions. "The public has a right to review their budget just like they have mine," Levy said.

The budget review report is just the latest to criticize the revenue from the red light system that Levy originally said would bring in $6 million this year, a figure lowered to $4 million when the system was not ready in April and cut again to $3 million in his new budget.

But the report found Levy based his new $3 million estimate on having 40 cameras running for 134 days, pulling in 19 tickets daily per site. "As of Oct. 7 the county has 15 cameras installed with only 85 days till year end and . . . $207,380 . . . of revenue has been realized," the report stated. Even if 40 camera were operating a day later, analysts say the 2010 shortfall could be $1.6 million.

For 2011, budget analysts say the shortfall could be $15 million since Levy is projecting 669,000 summons from a 100 cameras or 18.5 tickets per camera per day generating $34.7 million in revenue. But budget analysts say Nassau projects 15 summons per camera daily and the county vendor in responding to the county bid only estimates four to eight summons per camera daily. Levy aides yesterday said 31 cameras have been installed and all 50 sites will have cameras by Feb. 1. Levy noted that Nassau has budgeted $28 million for its cameras.