Steve Bellone

Bellone received national attention after spearheading an innovative environmental program called Long Island Green Homes.[3] The program incentivized homeowners to make energy improvement upgrades to their homes to achieve considerable savings on energy bills. Bellone was named Environmentalist of the Year by the Sierra Club's Long Island Group in 2009 in recognition of this initiative.[4]

Bellone launched Wyandanch Rising, a comprehensive community revitalization plan in Wyandanch, New York that has attracted over $70 million from government and private partners.[5] This transit-oriented development includes plans for a walkable, mixed-use community with bicycle lanes, on-street parking, better-lit sidewalks, safer crosswalks, mixed-use buildings, and public art blended with considerable residential, commercial, restaurant and gallery space.[6]

As a result of these revitalization efforts, Wyandanch Rising was selected to be the first permanent home of the Long Island Music Hall of Fame museum on October 23, 2014.[7]

Bellone's administration began with an inherited deficit of over $500 million which coincided with the Great Recession of 2008 and 2009.[11] Using the same economic policies instituted in the Town of Babylon to restore fiscal balance, the Bellone administration reduced Suffolk's deficit by hundreds of millions of dollars.[12] The 2015 budget proposal recommends actions to eliminate the budget deficit completely.[13] The Suffolk County deficit currently stands at $89.9 million, a reduction of $411 million in two years.

Since Bellone took office, the administration has enacted a series of government reforms and offered a variety of proposals to improve government efficiencies while maintaining reduced staffing levels. Since 2010, County staffing has reduced by more than 1,100 employees and has achieved annual reoccurring savings of over $100 million as a result.[14] The reduction of "one-shot" revenues has allowed Suffolk County to focus on long-term budget mitigation efforts. In addition, Bellone championed the merger of the Suffolk County Comptroller's Office and Suffolk County Treasurer's Office, a move estimated to save $800,000 a year that will streamline the county's financial operations. The merger was approved by over 61% Suffolk County voters in the November 4, 2014 election.[15] The consolidation of the two offices will take place on January 1, 2018.[16]

In 2014, County Executive Bellone announced that improving the region's water quality would be his administration's top priority, and launched the "Reclaim Our Water " initiative – a comprehensive plan to improve Suffolk County's water quality and eradicate nitrogen pollution.[17] Failing and unmaintained septic systems and cesspools have created an excess amount of nitrogen pollution in the region's water supply, becoming a serious threat to Long Island's water quality, wildlife, quality of life; and has already decimated the once iconic shellfish industry. Nitrogen poisoning has additionally destroyed the region's coastal vegetation, which acts as a natural habitat for marine and aviary life as well as a natural buffer against devastating storm surges as seen during Superstorm Sandy.[18] The County has identified 360,000 unsewered homes that contribute to nearly 70% of the nitrogen pollution load, and has developed an actionable, long term plan to sewer targeted areas, fortify existing waste water infrastructure, and bring advanced on-site waste water treatment systems to residential properties that are contributing most to the nitrification of waters.[19][20] To date, Bellone has worked extensively with state and federal officials to secure a historic investment of more than $380 million and is seeking further funding to help reduce excess nitrogen pollution, invest in wastewater infrastructure and help to protect coastal vegetation and marshlands.[21]

Since the beginning of his administration in 2012, Bellone has initiated a series of economic development plans to build innovation economies throughout Suffolk County to attract highly skilled and knowledge workers, and to keep young professionals on Long Island. Bellone tasked the Suffolk County Department of Economic Development and Planning with developing Suffolk County's first comprehensive master plan in decades to address issues involving land use, the overall economy, traffic and transportation, and natural and built resources.[22] In addition, County Executive Bellone introduced his Connect Long Island vision, a comprehensive transportation and development plan to connect Suffolk County downtowns, universities and research centers via mass transit.[23] The plan is designed to strengthen local businesses by expanding natural customer bases and develop the necessary infrastructure to provide residents with north-to-south transportation options.

In order to maintain core government services while operating with reduced staff, the Bellone administration has expanded its Performance Management department, which is responsible for ensuring the county workforce is as productive as possible. The office implements quality improvements to improve operations in all government departments.[14][24]