Clash over restoring Suffolk capital funds

Suffolk lawmakers and County Executive Steve Levy clashed Monday over a legislative plan to restore $56 million of the $85.8 million that Levy has proposed cutting from the 2012 capital budget.

A bipartisan omnibus resolution, to be voted on Tuesday, includes 62 changes to Levy's proposed capital budget and a three-year capital plan to restore $96 million of the total $282 million Levy sought to ax to reduce the county's borrowing. The largest proposed restoration would be $48.5 million for projects next year at Suffolk County Community College: a gym and wellness center for its Riverhead campus and a library for the Brentwood campus, both of which qualify for 50 percent state aid.

The legislators' plan also moves $50 million to replace the faulty Southwest Sewer District outfall pipe from 2014 to 2013. It cuts $8 million from the Pinelawn Road reconstruction, which was shortened.

Levy has faced legislative criticism over increased county borrowing in recent months. In reaction, he proposed a draconian capital budget that reduced 2012 spending on capital projects by 44 percent and by 49 percent through 2014.

"Many legislators have been raising a clarion call lately about county borrowing," Levy said. "The upcoming omnibus capital budget amendment vote will be a real litmus test whether the votes of the legislature will match their stated concern over indebtedness."

Presiding Officer William Lindsay (D-Holbrook) called Levy's budget "irresponsible" and defended the college projects for generating construction jobs with the state paying half the bill. "To create real jobs for a real purpose -- educating our kids -- is a smart thing to do," he said.

Legis. Jon Cooper (D-Lloyd Harbor), the majority leader, said Levy made unreasonable cuts to the capital budget out of pique over legislative criticism. "We have cut the capital budget, we just haven't cut it as much," Cooper said. "It's easy for him to throw bombs, but as a disgraced lame duck he won't have to live with the consequences and we'll have to clean up his mess."

Levy aides said much of the increased borrowing was caused by a state mandate to build a $250-million county jail and by environmental land purchases.