Levy seeks 1 percent more in budget cuts

Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy asked department heads this week to identify an additional 1 percent in discretionary budget cuts to fill a $15-million hole in this year's budget.

The move follows a 10 percent across-the-board cut he ordered in February.

About half the latest cut, Levy said in an interview this week, is needed to fill an $8.7-million shortfall caused by a growing caseload in the state-mandated Safety Net program coupled with a cut in state aid for the program, which helps childless adults and families who've exhausted their welfare benefits.

The number of people receiving emergency food, housing and other aid through the program has grown from 3,407 in July 2009 to 5,244 this July during the poor economy. The state cuts means the county has to pick up 71 percent instead of 50 percent of the program's cost.

The latest round of cuts is also needed to make up for about $10 million in state health care cuts, including funding for the medical examiner's office and a variety of other services.

An agreement last month, however, staved off even larger cuts that would have led to layoffs at the county's nine health centers. A portion of the state cuts was made up in February's round of slashing.

The impact of the cuts won't be known until the departments scrub their budgets further for more money. Levy said layoffs are not expected, but while the county still hired employees as necessary after the first round of cuts, he said the latest round of cuts will likely mean leaving vacant positions unfilled. He said departments will also make reductions in travel and equipment.

Levy said departments will be clamping down on overtime. At the same time, he said, departments will be expected to minimize the impact on public services. "They're all going to have to be more innovative," he said.

Deputy County Executive Eric Naughton said the county would also look to find savings in mandated areas of the budget.

Legislative budget committee chairman DuWayne Gregory (D-Amityville) noted the cuts this year come after the county last year cut discretionary spending in this year's $2.7-billion budget by 10 percent. Cutting in areas like child support enforcement, he said, would only push more people onto public assistance. "I'd be cautious about cutting what meat is left," Gregory said.