Levy: Legislation 'a template' to begin talks on deficit

Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy Thursday said that his proposal for the County Legislature to give him control over four major projects is "a template" to begin talks on what he described as a $150-million, two-year budget deficit.

"We just wanted to get the process going," he said during a news conference at his Hauppauge office. "This was never intended to be the final product. This is the template of what is yet to come."

Levy introduced legislation Tuesday in which legislators would authorize Levy to make decisions on selling the John J. Foley Skilled Nursing Facility in Yaphank, selling Yaphank land designated for the proposed Legacy Village project, purchasing the IRS building in Holtsville and changing county health centers to become eligible for federal aid.

"We really have to do all of this stuff and more if you want to make sure that we're going to be able to close that gap by the end of 2011," Levy said.

Levy said a deal is close to sell the nursing home, but declined to offer specifics about how much the county could receive for the facility.

Levy's plan has gained little traction with legislators. Presiding Officer William Lindsay (D-Holbrook) said the bill is not "anywhere near ready to move forward yet."