Candidate Profile: Steve Bellone For Suffolk County Executive

SUFFOLK COUNTY, NY — Suffolk County residents will be hitting the polls soon to elect local representatives.

The race is on in local town and village races leading up to Election Day, which, this year, falls on Tuesday, November 5. Patch asked those running for office to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles in the days leading up to the election.

Incumbent Steve Bellone, 49, of West Babylon is a Democrat also running on the Protect the Taxpayer line to retain his Suffolk County Executive seat. His opponents include incumbent Republican John M. Kennedy Jr. and Libertarian Greg Fischer.

Bellone and his wife Tracey have two daughters, Katie and Mollie, and a son Michael. Bellone is a graduate of North Babylon High School and he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree at Queens College in 1991. Enlisting in the US Army in 1992, County Executive Bellone served as a communications specialist stationed at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. During his service in the Army, he was awarded commendations for meritorious service and earned a master’s degree in Public Administration by attending night classes at Webster University. Bellone earned his Law degree from Fordham University and was admitted to the New York Bar in 1999. The incumbent Suffolk County Executive has also served as Babylon Town Supervisor and on the Babylon Town Council.

Check out Patch's full Q&A with Steve below.

Patch: The single most pressing issue facing our community is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Steve Bellone: The most pressing issue facing Suffolk County is protecting the taxpayer. As County Executive, I have worked to restore fiscal responsibility by freezing the county tax, eliminating a $500 million budget deficit, negotiated a new healthcare contract that saves taxpayers millions, and kept county budgets within the New York State property tax cap. Moving forward, we need to grow our economy by spurring new downtown revitalization, build more affordable housing for young people, and invest in regional economic development projects that attract new business to Suffolk County that reduce the tax burden on residents.

P: What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

B: The choices we make. I saved taxpayers $300,000 by cutting my own salary, rejecting every pay raise, and paying into my own healthcare. My opponent, John M. Kennedy, is a career politician who voted to raise taxes, gave his wife a job and $50,000 pay raise, and took 10 taxpayer-funded pay raises for himself.

P: Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform:

B: I am focused on reforming county government, improving water quality, and continuing to reduce crime. We launched a 311 constituent response system to improve service delivery, reduced the cost of government through efficiencies and improved management, and implemented a shared services program among local governments to save taxpayer dollars. My administration has secured hundreds of millions of dollars in state and federal funding to undertake the largest sewer infrastructure projects since the 1980s. And during my tenure, we have reduced crime in Suffolk County to the lowest levels in recorded history. My top two priorities remain combating the opioid epidemic and eradicating violent gangs like MS-13 from every community.

P: What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

B: Under my watch, Suffolk County turned around what was a $500 million budget shortfall on my first day as county executive to balance budget this year without one shots or gimmicks. I would also point to hundreds of millions of dollars of sewers being built and crime in Suffolk County now at the lowest levels in recorded history with opioid-related fatalities declining. I have initiated government reforms such as SuffolkShare; 311; financial reforms and the merging of our comptroller and treasurer offices.

P: The best advice ever shared with me was ...

B: "Focus on the task at hand and always do the right thing."

P: What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

B: We have made incredible progress over the last eight years on restoring fiscal responsibility, improving water quality and making Suffolk safer. I am running for re-election to continue that progress and make Suffolk County a stronger, safer, and more affordable place to live, work and raise a family.