The recently adopted Suffolk County operating budget for 2003 includes a "stand alone" resolution sponsored by Legislator Jon Cooper (D-Huntington) that will essentially double county environmental fines and use the proceeds to restore funding to county health clinics and hospitals targeted for budget cuts.
The resolution budgets $725,400 in additional revenue to be shared by Huntington Hospital, Islip Health Center, North Brookhaven Clinic, Southeast and Southwest Brookhaven Clinics and Wyandanch Clinic, all of which had their budgets cut under County Executive Robert Gaffney's proposed spending plan for next year. To raise the revenues, Cooper's resolution calls for a 90% increase in environmental fines levied by the County Health Department. An additional 10% increase in fines requested by the Health Department was included in the omnibus portion of the county budget.
"This resolution accomplishes two goals," Cooper said. "It will raise a significant amount of money for health centers countywide and thereby lessen the blow of the County Executive's across-the-board budget cuts. In addition, it will increase penalties for polluting our precious environment, which should make would-be violators think twice."
The resolution was adopted overwhelmingly by the Legislature but was subsequently vetoed by the County Executive. The Legislature overrode the veto on November 19, 2002.
