The Smithtown News ~ February 24, 2011 ~ Page 3

Suffolk County in hock Suffolk County’s

Debt load doubled to $1.3 billion since 2003
By KEVIN TSCHIRHART
County debt has more than
doubled during the administration
of Suffolk County Executive Steve
Levy, according to data obtained
from the Suffolk County Legislative
Budget Review Office (LBRO) by The
Smithtown News this week.
Suffolk County had $600,952,424
in outstanding debt in 2003. By
2005, the year of Mr. Levy’s first
budget, outstanding debt reached
$736,658,135. Five years later, in
2010, Suffolk County had $1.3 billion
in debt. As compared to the total
Suffolk budget, the county’s debt
burden has also increased, from 27%
in 2003, to 31% in 2005, and to 50%
in 2010.
Suffolk County Legislator Jon Cooper
(D-Lloyd Harbor) blasted Mr. Levy for,
in his view, not being more forthcoming
about Suffolk County’s fiscal situation
related to county borrowing and debt.
“He doesn’t explain that he kept taxes
low by increasing debt and borrowing
more, which at some point, we do have
to pay for,” Mr. Cooper said. “If you
want to be honest with the public, and
if you don’t actually reduce spending,
there are only two alternatives and
it’s either raising taxes, or borrowing
more money.”
Mr. Levy did not dispute the rise in
county indebtedness but he accused
Mr. Cooper of “election-year hype,”
related to the debt figures. “Our debt
level is only 6% of the allowable cap
and is half of Nassau’s,” Mr. Levy said
during an interview with him and his
deputy county executives Tuesday,
February 22. “That’s the context you
need to look at this in.”
“That means nothing,” Mr. Cooper
responded. “The real bottom line
becomes… is our debt increasing? Or
is it decreasing? If it’s increasing too
quickly, we’re just pushing the burden
onto our kids.”
Mr. Levy noted much of the
outstanding debt stems from mandated
capital expenses, including $250
million for a new jail. Mr. Levy also
claimed he submitted a 2011 capital
budget that is lower than the 2010
capital budget, but was overridden by
the legislature.
“Every capital budget I’ve introduced
in the last seven years has been lower
than the previous year,” he claimed.
“Jon Cooper and the liberal legislature
have overridden me [each time].”
Though the county’s total debt
has increased every year since 2003,
interest payments on the debt have
fluctuated. Excluding payments on
tobacco bonds, which, according to
Deputy Director of the LBRO Robert
Lipp, the county keeps out of the
official budget, the 2010 estimated
debt service payments made by the
county total $100,105,709, up from
$74,795,601 the year before, but
down from $119,490,848 in 2004, the
year Mr. Levy took office.
“If we were borrowing money at a
reckless pace, as Legislator Cooper
politically said, we wouldn’t have
gotten six straight bond upgrades by
our bond raters,” Mr. Levy said.
“My concern is making sure we keep
those high bond ratings,” Mr. Cooper
said. Mr. Levy, though, said he’s
confident the county will keep its high
bond ratings.
According to County Comptroller
Joseph Sawicki, the County’s largest
capital project, accounting for 20.1%
of the outstanding debt, is the Land
Acquisition Program, which he
called a “double edged sword.” It’s
commendable, Mr. Sawicki said, to
buy and preserve open space, but it
comes at a cost.
“You borrow money to buy this land,
which takes the land off the tax rolls,”
Mr. Sawicki said. “But at the same
time you have to use tax money to pay
off the interest on the debt.”
For this, and other large spending
items, Mr. Sawicki criticized the County
Executive for allegedly pushing forth
an image of fiscal conservatism while
simultaneously increasing the county
debt. “Mr. Levy can say whatever
he wants very easily when in front
of the TV cameras, but the numbers
don’t lie,” Mr. Sawicki said. “This is a
disturbing trend going forward, and
the last thing we want to do is become
another Nassau County, where you
start bonding everything for our
future.”
Mr. Cooper backtracked slightly,
however, admitting the Suffolk County
Legislature did play a role in the
increase of Suffolk County’s debt. “We
are equal partners,” he said, claiming
also there were other projects for
which the County Executive wanted
to borrow, which the legislature voted
down.
net indebtedness
2000
2001
$664,307,025
$632,891,841
2002
2003
$646,373,957
$600,952,424
2004 $653,018,400
2005* $736,658,135
2006 $818,881,028
2007 $891,456,559
2008 $950,539,529
2009 $1,205,473,937
2010 $1,310,928,608
*County Executive Steve Levy’s first budget
Mr. Levy claimed the opposite,
responding, “He [Mr. Cooper] has
overridden my spending vetoes in
the legislature to the tune of $100
million.”
Meanwhile, the total indebtedness
is set to rise again, this April or May,
according to Mr. Sawicki. “We’ll be
going out for another $90 to $100
million when we borrow again,” he
said.
The debt, however, is far from
permanent. “This could all become
moot in a year or two if the economy
rebounds and the sales tax revenues
go back up,” Mr. Cooper said. “But
it might not, and that’s why people
should know exactly where the county
stands.”
Even with the possibility of sales tax
revenues increasing, thereby offsetting
the debt payments, Mr. Sawicki,
expressed concern over the rise of
county indebtedness. “Its disturbing
that the debt doubled in the last
seven or eight years,” he said. “This
is something the county executive
should keep his eye on.”

School officials top town’s highest paid employees

Salaries of public sector executive officers
By DAVID AMBRO

As it does annually, The Smithtown

News has obtained from the Town of Employee Title Base pay Total Earnings
Smithtown a list of the top wage earners Donald James Commack School Superintendent $256,900 $347,128
for 2010, and as usual Smithtown
Planning Director Frank DeRubeis is Patricia Sullivan-Kriss Hauppauge School Superintendent $248,077 $307,083
the top paid town employee, eclipsed Edward Ehmann Smithtown School Superintendent $214,200 $257,521
on the list only by retiring employees Susan Agruso Kings Park School Superintendent $209,100 $222,903
whose total salary was bolstered by Steve Levy Suffolk County Executive $179,881 $179,881
large lump-sum severance pay.
This year, though, The NEWS has
Andrew Cuomo New York State Governor $171,000 $171,000
gone a step further and looked at all Patrick Vecchio Smithtown Town Supervisor $111,635 $111,635
Patrick Vecchio
top paid public sector employees,
and the salaries of the top town workers does not but with $67,104 in accrued vacation time, $18,599 base salary of $90,948, Mr. Alessi earned $30,594
approach that paid to school district officials. in accrued sick time, a vacation buyback of $2,242 in overtime, had a $1,600 longevity bonus and
For instance, the superintendents of the town’s and longevity pay of $1,600, his net earnings from earned $337 in double time, for total 2010 wages
four main school districts, Smithtown, Kings Park, the town was $171,177. Mr. Murphy had a base pay of $123,480. Mr. Nelson had the same base salary
Hauppauge and Commack, are all paid at least of $112,914, but with vacation, sick and longevity as Mr. Alessi, added to which he earned $27,382 in
double the salary of Smithtown Supervisor Patrick time, he bolstered his earnings to $151,355. Mr. overtime and had longevity pay of $1,300 for total
Vecchio, who is the longest serving town supervisor Minerva retired in June with a half-year salary of wages earned of $119,631.
in Long Island history. As another for instance, as $63,741, but with $77,021 in accrued sick time and Rounding out the top ten paid town employees were
Smithtown’s top paid employee with a salary of vacation and longevity he boosted his earnings to Director of Public Safety John Valentine ($119,142),
$135,829 in 2010, Mr. DeRubeis would not make $145,507. Town Engineer Ted Sanford ($118,632) and Town
the top-ten paid list of any of the school districts, Mr. DeRubeis earned a base salary of $131,726 and Attorney Yvonne Lieffrig ($117,976). Although
and in Smithtown, Hauppauge and Commack he with a vacation buyback of $2,503 and longevity pay the chief executive officer of the town, Supervisor
wouldn’t even beak into the top 20 list. of $1,600 his total earnings were $135,829. The next Vecchio finished 18th on the 2010 top wage earner
Town’s Top 20 highest paid town official is Director of Environment list, with a base salary of $111,635.
The Town of Smithtown’s three top wage earners and Waterways Russell Barnett, whose total wages School Official Salaries
for 2010 were three retirees, Assesor Gregory Hild, in 2010 were $131,014. While Mr. Vecchio is well down the Smithtown pay
Director of Parks and Recreation William Murphy Next on the town top paid list are two town general scale, town officials do not approach the amount of
and Comptroller Anthony Minerva. Mr. Hild retired supervisors Philip Alessi and Peter Nelson, Jr., who income earned by their public sector counterparts
in the fall and drew only a partial salary of $81,630, used overtime to climb the salary scale. With a (Continued on page 19)