Steve Bellone: Budget crisis a top priority

Striding into his first day as Suffolk County executive-elect Wednesday, Steve Bellone named the county's budget crisis as one of his top priorities and said the police and health departments will be among his first targets when he takes office in January.

Bellone, the Democratic supervisor in Babylon Town, also promised a less confrontational style of governing than his predecessor, Republican Steve Levy.

"I'm a different kind of Steve," Bellone said.

Speaking at a news conference in his office at Town Hall, Bellone said he is committed to data-driven, community policing and to an overhaul of the health department that will streamline the permit process for businesses. He promised to "start making progress on day one."

He offered little insight into his plans beyond what he stressed throughout his campaign. He spoke of taking a long-term, comprehensive approach to solving the county's ills. Among his goals is repairing what he termed a "manufactured" rift between the county police and sheriff's department under Levy.

Bellone said he intends to form a search committee to seek out a replacement for Police Commissioner Richard Dormer, who has faced criticism over police interaction with immigrant communities.

Bellone decried Levy's "confrontational" relationship with such communities. "You'll never see that kind of rhetoric from me." He said "elected officials have a responsibility to bring people together and calm things down" and that verbal attacks should be a last resort.

He dubbed Levy's proposed budget a "mess" but other than voicing opposition to any override of the 2 percent property tax cap, Bellone did not discuss details of what he hoped to see in the budget. "There's no magic bullet to fix this budget crisis; we have to take a multifaceted approach," he said.

Although he faced some hard-hitting questions during the news conference, one of the day's tougher inquiries had come earlier, from his 3-year-old daughter Katie. When told her father would no longer work at Babylon Town Hall, which has a park outside, Katie asked whether his new job would have a playground. Bellone said he told a disappointed Katie: no.

"Given the budget problems in the county, I don't think we'll be putting in a playground at the Dennison building in Hauppauge any time soon," Bellone said, chuckling.

Following the news conference, Bellone, who said he was working on two hours of "restless" sleep, walked into the adjoining office for the town's traditional post-Election Day breakfast to applause and hugs from dozens of staff and family.

Then it was back to town business. Bellone said he wants to focus on wrapping up projects started under his watch, including elements of the Wyandanch Rising redevelopment. But as the realization set in that his 10-year tenure as supervisor is coming to an end, the moment turned bittersweet for Bellone.

"I may look back someday, maybe someday soon," he said with a nervous laugh, "and say this was the best job I ever had."