Bellone plan eyes Suffolk $530-million gap

County Executive Steve Bellone Monday unveiled a $162-million package to begin closing Suffolk's $530-million budget gap, including a 25-cent increase for Fire Island ferry rides, a $1 hike in minibus rides for the disabled and up to a $50 surcharge for moving traffic violations.

"These are tough choices we are making . . . there are even tougher choices that are ahead," said Bellone. "This gets a third of the way there and gets us started on the path of returning Suffolk County to a solid foundation for its finances."

Bellone made the announcement with seven members of the Democratic caucus behind him, but no Republican was present. All lawmakers were briefed in a conference call earlier in the day. Bellone repeatedly emphasized that "what is significant here is we are all together working in a bipartisan fashion to address the crisis."

Later, however, Legis. John Kennedy (R-Nesconset), the minority leader, said GOP lawmakers back the need for cuts as a "general concept," but added that lawmakers must do their own "due diligence" because the only details most of them heard were in Bellone's conference call.

Legis. Thomas Cilmi (R-Bay Shore) called many of the projected savings "speculative at best" with few details to back them up. "It's one thing to tell department heads to save $25 million and another for them to do it," he said.

However, Legis. Thomas Barraga (R-West Islip), predicted GOP legislators would back the initial round of cuts. "Frankly, these are the easier things to do," he said.

The largest part of Bellone's plan calls for borrowing $66 million from State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli at a 3.5 percent interest rate over 10 years to help cover the spike in the county pension bill. It also includes state initiatives such as the still-pending legislative proposal for a county traffic bureau, which is estimated to generate $13.5 million by 2013, along with a ticket surcharge of as much as $50 for the 169,000 moving violations annually. It also includes $7 million in new revenue from an increase in red camera sites approved in the recent budget.

It calls for $25 million in performance management savings -- $16 million of it with no details on how it would be achieved -- $6.75 million from workman's compensation economies and $2.5 million from ending some current leases because of staff cuts. Bellone also called for borrowing $5 million for recurring costs such as the purchase of police cars, which is normally done as part of the operating budget, because of the county's cash crunch.

The plan would impose a 25-cent surcharge on the 2.1 million annual Fire Island ferry rides, which would bring in $700,000. It also would impose a $1 increase on the $3-a-ride minibus service for the disabled, which carries 438,000 riders a year.

Bellone's plan axes a $1.1 million "Health Smart" program which trains teachers and runs school programs on drugs, obesity and bullying; it stops funding a $2.16-million program to provide anti-smoking patches and training, and suspends the living wage subsidy for workers in nonprofit programs.