Unfunded mandate will cost Towns over $11 million dollars

Brookhaven Town Supervisor Mark Lesko speaking at the press conference on the steps of the H.Lee Dennison Building in Hauppauge. Also pictured left to right are Babylon Town Supervisor Steve Bellone, Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russel, Islip Town Supervisor Phil Nolan and Huntington Town Supervisor Frank Petrone.

Farmingville, NY – On October 3, 2011, the Supervisors of Brookhaven, Babylon, East Hampton, Huntington, Islip, Riverhead, Smithtown and Southold voiced shock and concern over County Executive Steve Levy’s out-of-county tuition tax passed on to Suffolk County Towns. County Executive Levy made the decision to force this unfunded mandated onto the Towns with no warning at a time when they were submitting their 2012 budgets to their respective Town Boards.

If passed in the 2012 County budget, the Towns will be responsible for the cost of tuition for students who live in one of the Suffolk Towns, but attend an out-of-county community college.

Levy also did not provide the towns with a cost estimate. The Supervisors requested this analysis from Comptroller Joseph Sawicki, which found that this new tax on the Towns will cost the towns over $11 million dollars.

Brookhaven Supervisor Mark Lesko, Chairman of the Suffolk County Supervisor’s Association said, “It is astounding that County Executive Levy is forcing this out-of-county tuition tax on the Towns when we have already submitted our fiscal plans for 2012. The fact that Levy himself has been an outspoken critic of unfunded mandates is especially shocking.”

Southampton Supervisor Anna Throne-Holst and Vice Chair of the Suffolk Supervisor’s Association, “What is most troublesome about this effort to transfer the cost of Community College Tuition to the Towns is that it is not about saving money – it’s simply an effort to shift the burden of the cost to other entities. And it’s being done without even the courtesy of discussion, or ample time to allow Towns to prepare for the change in expense. The County should be working with the Towns, not against them.”

Babylon Town Supervisor Steve Bellone said, “It is wrong for the county to pass their budget problems onto town taxpayers. Towns have no direct role in the administration of the community college system, and therefore should not be forced to incorporate these expenses into their budgets.”

Islip Supervisor Phil Nolan said, “For a guy who is always talking about unfunded mandates, the County Executive is sticking the taxpayers of our respective towns with a hidden tax and that is bad public policy. And if he is successful it would shift a charge that is paid mostly by the county sales tax and put it on the backs to property tax payers in our town.”

Huntington Town Supervisor Frank P. Petrone said, "Many years ago, when county community colleges became part of the SUNY system, the counties and the state established the chargebacks as part of the agreement that made community college education a state responsibility. If Suffolk County wants to amend that longstanding agreement, it behooves the county to negotiate with the state about changing the funding formula rather than foist this expense on the towns,"

Smithtown Supervisor Patrick Vecchio said, “It is an eleventh hour gimmick that shifts an unfair tax burden from the County to the Towns.”

East Hampton Town Supervisor Bill Wilkinson said, “This is another example of county cost shifting in recent weeks and why on earth should the town be encumbered by this decision.”

Riverhead Town Supervisor Sean M. Walter said, “It’s closing time at the restaurant, Steve Levy enjoyed the meal, and now he is pushing the check to his tablemates to pay the bill. Having served this long in government, Mr. Levy should know better than to burden his neighbors with yet another unfunded mandate.”

The Comptroller provided the following breakdown of costs for the out-of-county tuition tax per Town:

Division of Public Information * Office of the Supervisor
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