How To Keep People On Long Island? Suffolk Candidates Discuss.

SUFFOLK COUNTY, NY — Long Island, with its proximity to the water, beaches, vibrant Main Streets and more, should be a prime place to raise a family. However, it faces a serious problem: people are leaving it behind left and right — and it's not always their choice.

Around 71 percent of young adults plan to leave Long Island within the next five years, according to a 2018 survey by the Long Island Index. Exepensive housing, lower incomes and little prospects for improvement fuel the mindset, according to Long Island Weekly.

Candidates seeking election to the Suffolk County Legislature are well aware of this. Patch followed up with Tom Donnelly, Democratic incumbent for District 17, Rebecca Lonardo, Republican challenger for District 17, William Spencer, Democratic incumbent for District 18, and Garrett Chelius, Republican challenger for District 18. Click each candidate's name to read more about them in their Patch questionnaire.

The candidates addressed why they feel the younger generation is fleeing Long Island and posed solutions on how to make it more desirable to live in.

All candidates pointed to cost of living as the major underlying factor behind why people leave.

Donnelly said a combination of lack of job opportunities and high real estate costs are leading the younger generation to seek opportunities elsewhere.

Lonardo called it a complex and multi-factorial issue, though the most obvious reasons are taxes and cost of living.

Spencer said technology has gotten rid of many highly labor-intensive jobs, but that has resulted in fewer jobs — and even fewer high-paying jobs — that can't account for the growing population.

"I think with Long Island, because of it having one of the highest cost of living in the world and limited housing, it’s very difficult for a young person to be able to come back here, get a starter house and be able to have a consistent job that allows them to afford to live here," Spencer said.

In addition to pricey real estate, food and services, the high cost of government services also leads to higher taxes.

Chelius said it's gotten to the point where those looking to live independently don't even have a choice when it comes to deciding whether to remain on Long Island.

"Youngsters are leaving Long Island in droves, not because they want to, but because they simply cannot afford to live here," he said. "The fact that we, as a county, pay tons of money to educate and train our younger generation only to watch them leave must stop immediately."

Chelius believes the solution is to responsibly develop affordable housing, ideally in areas located near railway stations and downtown areas.

"In order for them to afford these units, we also need to attract businesses that will offer the type of jobs that our young people need and want," he said.

Chelius said it starts with addressing what he called Suffolk's fiscal crisis. He cited three keys to maintaining younger residents: jobs, affordable housing and better economic opportunities.

Donnelly also feels the county needs to look at housing options for the next generation. He said he'd opt not to just build apartments, as he feels residents want a suburban quality of life. Instead, he'd plan for strategically-placed new developments centered around mass transit. He feels that concept has promise and cited the success of communities like Farmingdale, Patchogue, Wyandanch and Greenport.

He said before committing to anything, he'd want to ensure it's a concept the community could buy into, one the new generation workforce approves of. It would lead to a more walkable downtown with increased residency and availability of services. Both the negatives and positives of increased density would need to be accounted for.

Lonardo noted Long Island is suffering from a "brain drain," or the departure of highly-trained or intelligent workers. She also called for affordable apartments and condos/co-ops that can help younger people to establish their own homes on Long Island, but shared Donnelly's concerns of maintaining the county's suburban charm.

"This must be intelligently planned so that the suburban feel the we enjoy in Suffolk doesn't turn into a high-rise urban feel," she said.

Spencer feels the best way to tackle the issue of decreasing fees and taxes is to lower the costs of county government as much as possible. He pointed to controlling pension and healthcare costs as a good way to accomplish that.

"People who work for the county deserve to have health insurance, but bringing in a model of healthcare navigators that can help steer patients towards as-effective, but lower-cost options or more efficient options, could help us save maybe 15 to 20 percent of our $400 million health care budget," he said.

Lonardo said the county must also support business as a way to foster job creation.

"We need to make Suffolk County more business friendly so that there are high quality jobs available for new graduates and young people to start their careers and see a future for themselves here," she said. "Suffolk County has so much to offer and we need to emphasize those attributes: beaches, vineyards, cultural amenities, restaurants and proximity to NYC."

Spencer noted many of Long Island's offerings are geared more towards a summertime experience. He said if he's re-elected, he would like to bolster Long Island's wintertime economy.

"In the winter, the families who are here, over winter break, they’re going to other places," he said. "Even in places like the Poconos, which is landlocked, they’ve got entertainment venues that gives them a wintertime economy. We need to develop a wintertime economy that is appropriate for young people, parents and seniors, and we haven’t developed that."

Spencer said the old psychiatric center in Kings Park, which is sitting on roughly 800 acres of currently untapped land, would mark a good spot for an economic development. There, he said he'd love to see a great lodge, an indoor water park or a minor league basketball or hockey team similar to baseball's Long Island Ducks. He also suggested an alcohol-free nightclub with games, akin to Dave and Buster's; and it would have virtual reality options.

Following the Nov. 5 election, it will be interesting to see how a new or incumbent Suffolk County Legislature tackles these issues and attempts to keep the younger generation on the island.