Bellone meets with unions on budget deficit

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone met with county union leaders Wednesday to enlist their help to solve the county's $530 million deficit and said afterward that any concessions would go to avoiding future layoffs, not the 462 jobs for which funding will run out in June.

Bellone met for 45 minutes with 10 county union leaders laying out his blue ribbon panel's findings on the size of the deficits and the county's fragile cash flow situation. But he made no specific proposals to the unions and there was no discussion of layoffs. He said his top labor negotiator, Paul Margiotta, would set up meetings with each union in the next week or so.

Later in an interview, Bellone said concessions were unlikely to stop pending layoffs. "Given the size of the deficit, we have to start thinking about how we are going to prevent additional layoffs from occurring, beyond what is already budgeted in 2012."

Bellone's comment comes after his panel found that the county ended last year $33 million in the red, will have an additional budget hole of $148 million this year and a deficit of $349 million as he prepared his first operating budget for 2013.

"Unfortunately, the number we see in the blue ribbon report does not include extending people budgeted for layoff beyond June 30 and anything we do in that area would just add to the deficit," Bellone added, noting saving those jobs would cost extra $25 million.

Cheryl Felice, president of Association of Municipal Employees, said, "I left the meeting feeling very encouraged that he's looking for ways to make government more efficient." But she declined to comment on Bellone's layoff comments because it was "not part of our conversation." However, she said she has gotten many calls from members who are "angry and confused."

Earlier, Suffolk lawmakers in a news conference said the legislature will reconvene its budget working group to help craft a mitigation plan in the next two weeks. Some acknowledged they may have to consider measures -- laying off hundreds of workers, closing or scaling back the county nursing home -- they fought fiercely when former County Executive Steve Levy proposed them last year.

"It's frustrating," said Deputy Presiding Officer Wayne Horsley (D-Babylon). "But this time, we have a working partner in the county executive."

Legis. John Kennedy (R-Nesconset), minority leader, also worried Bellone was accepting Levy's layoff list without determining if alternate jobs are more vital. "I understand the need for budget savings, but the county executive should work with department heads to make cuts that do the least to hurt services."

Bellone later said he will review the list. Legis. Edward Romaine (R-Center Moriches) suggested "one-shots" such as the sale-leaseback of county buildings should at least be given thought if they can save jobs."I'm very concerned that massive layoffs would undermine county government," he said.