Levy campaign rolls out $80,000 TV ad

To support his fiscal message and tout his budget record, Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy is using campaign funds to air a 30-second TV ad aimed at reminding voters that he "will continue to make the tough decisions needed to freeze taxes," spokesman Mark Smith said.

Levy's campaign paid $80,000 to air the ad on local cable TV stations, Smith said. According to the latest campaign finance reports last month, Levy had $4.11 million in his war chest.

In the ad, Levy speaks directly to the camera, reminds viewers he "cut violent crime by 8 percent and brought in 2,000 new jobs at Canon" and vows to "control spending" in 2011, saying "all else is irrelevant if we can't afford to live here in the first place."

The ads come as Suffolk Democrats coalesce behind Babylon Supervisor Steve Bellone, their likely candidate against Levy in November. Bellone's campaign reported $1 million on hand in last month's report.