Levy vetoes spending measures

Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy vetoed three spending measures Thursday, but said he expects those actions to be overridden by legislators.

Levy vetoed a measure approved by lawmakers this month, restoring positions that had been slated to be cut from the John J. Foley Skilled Nursing facility in Yaphank.

Levy's 2012 proposed budget anticipates closing the home. In his veto message Thursday, Levy wrote, in all capital letters: "IT CANNOT BE EMPHASIZED ENOUGH THAT AN OVERRIDE OF THIS VETO WILL RESULT IN THE CREATION OF A $23 MILLION HOLE IN THE OPERATING BUDGET." Then it repeated the statement saying, "This is so important it needs repeating."

The $23 million figure reflects the total Levy says the county would save from the facility's closure and from selling its assets. He said the county should not be competing with private providers.

The legislature's Presiding Officer William Lindsay (D-Holbrook), though, said legislators are seeking bids from medical providers willing to run the facility in a more cost-efficient public-private partnership. Those bids are due to the county Friday.

Lindsay said Levy's "proposal is to just close and throw sick people out on the street. I don't think his approach is responsible." Legislators say private nursing homes won't take many of the county patients.

Levy also vetoed a measure to spend $16,500 to rent space used by the East Hampton Health Center. The county had received space from the town for free.

Also vetoed was a measure spending $500,000 to reduce a backlog in pay owed to public defenders. Levy said neither spending measure was anticipated in his proposed budget.

The legislature's budget office, though, said money for both could be taken from other budget areas, or, in the case of the clinic, be reimbursed by Medicaid.