Bellone starts county executive campaign

After a year of planning and a countywide listening tour, Babylon's Supervisor Steve Bellone kicked off his county executive campaign Wednesday before a hometown crowd.

"I have listened and now I'm ready to lead," Bellone, a Democrat, said in a firehouse parking lot, across the street from North Babylon High School, where he graduated in 1987.

"I will bring people together to get things done by ending the notion that divisive politics and press statements are a substitute for actual leadership," he told a crowd of nearly 200 backers, including leaders from labor, civic groups and business.

With no Republican candidate yet to target, Bellone assailed the current county administration without mentioning exiting Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy by name. Bellone claimed that the county "deficit and debt are unsustainable, the result of fiscal mismanagement." He said the county has a $180 million structural deficit and a debt load of more than $1 billion -- double the amount in Levy's first year in office in 2004.

Levy aides say they estimate the budget shortfall for this year and next of $140 million, and say the gap will be closed without a tax hike when the 2012 budget is presented in September. Administration officials say the debt load was not of their making, while Levy has criticized county lawmakers for driving it up with projects including a gymnasium and library at community college campuses.

Bellone, 41, of West Babylon, says he has cut town staffing in half, reduced the town debt by 15 percent and cut property taxes 5 percent last year. But John Jay LaValle, Suffolk Republican chairman, called Bellone's tax cut an election-year gimmick adding he has raised taxes repeatedly as supervisor; Bellone acknowledges tax increases, but says he has kept taxes level in seven of his nine years in office. He also labeled Bellone the "king of patronage" because he and his wife Tracey, a county deputy parks commissioner, take salary, health and other benefits in taxpayer-funded jobs.

Rick Fromberg, Bellone's campaign manager, called LaValle's remarks "pure desperation. Everything he says lacks credibility."

Levy, a Democrat turned Republican, announced in March that he would not seek re-election and would turn over his $4.1 million campaign to District Attorney Thomas Spota to end a probe of his fundraising.