Cover photo: Executive Romaine delivers the 2025 State of the County Address in Riverhead on Tuesday (Credit – Matt Meduri)
Pursuant to the Suffolk County Charter, the County Executive must deliver a State of the County Address in front of the Suffolk County Legislature to update the Legislators on progress made and progress to be made.
Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine (R-Center Moriches) delivered the 2025 State of the County Address at 2:00 in Riverhead on Tuesday afternoon.
Romaine, a former County Legislator himself who served two stints on the horse-shoe, one in the 1980s and one in the mid-2000s, reflected fondly on his time there.
“When you’re a legislator, you’re the only voice the communities you represent have in government,” Romaine said to the horseshoe. “Yes, there’s a county executive, but you’re their voice, and I always want to listen to all eighteen.”
After fifteen months serving in Suffolk’s top post, Romaine feels confident and “blessed” in the partnership the Legislature has provided him, each other, and Suffolk residents.
“In the fifteen months here, how many vetoes have I issued of your resolutions?” Romaine asked. “None, because you are all doing a great job in representing your communities and forming a partnership with me,” he added, lamenting the lack of such partnership in Albany and Washington.
“The state of the county is good,” said Romaine to applause.
Finances
Romaine’s speech was slightly structured around a quote often attributed to St. Jerome, “Good, better, best. Never let it rest, until your good is better and your better is best.”
“Finances are good, but never let it rest until good is better and better is best,” said Romaine. “I want to come back with even better news next year.”
“Do we face [financial] challenges? Undoubtedly. Is the economic condition a little bit uncertain these days? No question about it,” said Romaine. “But I’ve been there before and I’ve watched this happen, and we get through it all.” He substantiated this with his time in the Legislature during the 1980s, which saw a major stock market regression, and his second tour of duty on the horseshoe during the Great Recession. He was also faced with the COVID-19 Pandemic during his time as Brookhaven Town Supervisor.
“We’ve had four bond rating upgrades this year; we’ve done sound budgeting,” said Romaine, reiterating a pledge he made when he became Brookhaven Town Supervisor in 2012 that he has transferred to his role as County Executive: “No matter how tough times get, we will never pierce the tax cap.”
“Last year, eight of the ten towns in Suffolk pierced their tax caps – Smithtown and Huntington did not – and Suffolk County did not, and we will not pierce the tax cap as long as I’m county executive.”
Romaine added that it remains to be seen what kind of bond upgrades the County might receive this year, but he pledged to remain steadfast in that endeavor and to pay down some of the County’s debt. The Romaine Administration is also saddled with lawsuits left unsettled by his predecessor Steve Bellone (D-West Babylon) that Romaine intends to settle.
Cybersecurity
Romaine remains adamant that the 2022 cybers hack that crippled Suffolk County services and cost $27 million in recovery efforts should have never happened, owing to his time in Brookhaven, during which the Town obtained cybersecurity insurance.
“The previous administration, before they left, spent about $27 million, much of it still unaccounted for and we’re still looking to claw back some spendings that should have never take place,” said Romaine, adding that the “belt and suspenders” for the County’s cybersecurity has been substantiated by a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security and the Cybersecurity Infrastructure Security Agency.
Public Works
One of Romaine’s top concerns has been that of infrastructure, renovating roadways, and increasing usage and connectivity of public transport.
“It’s been neglected for too long. Many of our buildings are not in great shape. I don’t even want to mention our historic buildings; they’re even worse,” said Romaine.
A big project has been that of remediating County Route 39 in Tuckahoe, perhaps the most notorious bottleneck in Suffolk. Romaine also mentioned work on the Smith Point drawbridge and the Ponquogue Bridge in Hampton Bays.
Of neglecting infrastructure, Romaine said, “We can get away with it for a while, but who’s going to pay the price? The price is our future.”
Unsurprisingly, sewers continue to be a dominant point of conversation in Suffolk, with Romaine not relenting in his vision to invest nearly $1 billion in sewers before his term expires in 2028.
“We’re working on sewers now in Kings Park, Smithtown, Oakdale, South Huntington, and Mastic Beach,” said Romaine. He also mentioned a pending sewer study for the Heartland Town Square project on the site of the former Pilgrim State Hospital in Brentwood and the nearby industrial park. A wastewater study for Montauk is also in the works.
Regarding State funds, namely the $4.2 billion found in the Environmental Bond Act, Romaine proposes a “challenge” to Governor Kathy Hochul (D).
“For every dollar we invest as a county, invest in Suffolk from the Environmental Bond Act. I’ll direct all that money to sewers,” said Romaine.
He also posed another challenge to Suffolk’s state and federal representatives to source funding for remediating contaminated water.
“Believe it or not, a lot of people are still on well water. Those wells are coming up contaminated,” said Romaine. “Imagine having to drink that water, bathe your child in that water, or put [baby] formula in that water.”
“We need a funding source and the County will work with the State and federal government to address contaminated water. It shouldn’t be based on income, it should be based on health results from water quality,” said Romaine. “Not only sewers, but let’s invest in all water infrastructure. I want to make that challenge to the State; that can also be an Environmental Bond expenditure.”
Romaine also renewed calls for LIPA and PSE&G-LI to bury their lines to increase storm resilience and safety, but also to improve their substations.
“Their substations are not adequate,” said Romaine, reflecting on his time as Supervisor when his plan to shutter the landfill would have culminated in solar panels across the dormant site.
“The substations couldn’t handle it [then]. Now that I’m county executive, I’ve talked about ‘Solar Up Suffolk’, and have been trying to encourage solar use,” said Romaine. He proposed an idea he’s had since he began his tenure, to install solar panels on flat-top roofs, especially those of buildings in industrial parks and public parking stalls, the latter of which are often found at County and State buildings.
“We’re working with the IDA and others to come up with an incentive program to encourage industrial buildings, schools and other public buildings that can structurally afford it to put solar on their rooftops,” said Romaine. “But the substations are inadequate. LIPA, spend the money, invest in substations.”
Parks and Recreation
Romaine spoke of neglect of the County’s parks, delivering news of new accessible playgrounds at Meschutt Beach County Park in Hampton Bays and Gardiner County Park in West Bay Shore. Vehicle access to Moriches Inlet from Smith Point is also in the works, as is a new pavilion at Cupsogue Beach located at the far eastern end of Fire Island within the the Town of Brookhaven.
As Supervisor, Romaine had offered the previous County administration to buy the park and repair the pavilion after it was destroyed in a fire. He did not receive a response.
However, Romaine did tease that Smith Point will be the site of the first All-Suffolk Oyster Festival in the third week of August.
Funding sources for historic homes are also in the works, with the County possessing over one hundred historic homes and buildings.
“Most of them are in a state of neglect; we are going to see that end,” said Romaine.
Of open space preservation, Romaine firmly declared, “I’m going to support every open space development that comes forward.”
County Services
Romaine is happy to report that the County has made tremendous strides in their public services and assistance programs. The Department of Social Service (DSS) has made perhaps the greatest rebound, wherein Suffolk ranked as one of the worst counties for processing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to now ranking as the best in the state.
“We got new leadership [in DSS after District Attorney Ray Tierney’s (R) grand jury report. We had an immediate change in Social Services commissioners, and I think [current DSS Commissioner] Dr. [John] Imhof is doing a fantastic job,” said Romaine. “The state has reported that Suffolk County has made substantial improvements in all areas and in many categories, we’re at 100% compliance.”
“Remember, good, better, best. I want us to be the best,” said Romaine.
Romaine, however, laments the lack of State action on certain laws, such as bail reform, discovery laws, and child protective laws. Suffolk implemented a blind removal policy for Child Protective Services (CPS) last fall, but Romaine awaits the State Legislature’s actions to implement further reform.
Indeed, Romaine stands with Tierney in opposing “dangerous” bills from Albany that would kneecap public safety efforts. He cited the Elder Parole Bill, which would provide parole eligibility for inmates fifty-five years or older. He also cited the Fair and Timely Parole Act, which would refocus the parole system on rehabilitative accomplishments over continued criminal punishment. He also stands with Tierney in calling for discovery reform changes, which would allow police officers to conduct roadside arrests when a driver is visibly under the impairment of a substance. Current laws require police officers to be able to identify the intoxicating substance to perform an arrest.
Romaine and company are also currently exploring a possible farm-to-school program, in which school districts – there are sixty-nine school districts in Suffolk County – could purchase farm products for school lunches.
“We can have more nutritious lunches and we can support our farmers; there’s a synergy there that has to be worked on,” said Romaine.
The County Legislature, preceding Romaine’s address, unanimously approved the police contract, in which significant pay raises for Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD) officers were successfully negotiated.
“The one thing I want to do is provide a fair contract and make sure that we can retain and recruit people to County service,” said Romaine. “We’ve added 220 police officers, but we have a lot of police officers retiring in the future. After two years, that will probably net out at ninety-five officers.”
Detectives and administrators have been added as well, along with a permanent task force to combat illegal street racing and takeovers. Such an incident almost cost SCPD officer Brendon Gallagher his life in January. Romaine says that more patrol officers will be added to the highways, especially during the summer months. Nine units have already been added for highway patrol.
Finally, Romaine says that funds need to be directed to various County agencies to combat the opioid crisis, namely to the Medical Examiner’s office that buried 400 overdose victims and received no funds. The County’s Probation, Sheriff, and Health departments received no funding from the previous administration.
“Together, we are Suffolk. Let’s solve the problems that confront us, let’s do what needs to be done,” said Romaine in closing, parting with the Spanish saying, “Vaya con Dios”, translated, “May you go with God.”
