Suffolk lawmakers should send clean water plan to voters

The fight against nitrogen pollution in Suffolk County has come a long way. Recognition of the problem is near-universal. The solution — sewer where feasible, replace inefficient septic systems elsewhere — is well understood.

Now there is a proposed funding mechanism to make it all work — a sales tax increase of .125% to generate an estimated $3.1 billion through 2060 to expand sewers and offer grants to homeowners for new septic systems. It's the culmination of a 10-year campaign and part of a referendum authorized by the State Legislature in April to be placed on the ballot as early as November.

But first the plan needs an OK from the county legislature. And there is the frustrating rub. The Republican-controlled chamber is balking for reasons that don't add up, which threatens to short-circuit the entire effort.

Republicans say the issue is the allocation of new funding to septic replacements and sewers. They prefer a 50-50 split, rather than the referendum's 75-25 split favoring septics. But the proposal also would extend to 2060 an existing 0.25% sales tax for drinking water protection, some of which goes to expanding and upgrading sewers and would make the split almost exactly equal. Another complaint that most of the septic money would go to East End homeowners is divorced from reality; the plan would swap out more than twice as many septic systems in the five western towns.

While the ostensible objection is the money split, the subcurrent is politics. All 18 county legislative seats are on the ballot this fall. Republican and Conservative party leaders are worried the referendum will bring out Democratic voters, hurting reelection chances of Republicans in swing districts and those competing for open seats. But referendums don’t compel people to vote; it's people who come to polls who historically have approved environmental referendums when given a chance. Look at last November's "red wave" election — a smashing success for Republicans and one in which the GOP's Lee Zeldin easily carried Suffolk in the governor's race even as the state's $4 billion environmental bond act also sailed through.

Republicans want Assemb. Fred Thiele and State Sen. Monica Martinez — who fought hard to get the referendum through their respective chambers — to go back to Albany to get lawmakers to tinker with the formula and then set a special election sometime next year. But Albany is notoriously fickle and there is little appetite anywhere for a costly special election. 

Conversations are ongoing. That's good. But if Republicans are sincere in their concern about Suffolk's water quality, it's time they act on it. They should not let what they perceive as the perfect to be the enemy of what clearly is the good — if not the very good. Put the referendum on the ballot. After it passes, mount the campaign to tweak it. It's too late in the game to put the brakes on progress.