PAGE A6 • THE TIMES OF MIDDLE COUNTRY • August 10, 2017
County
Bellone announces plan to reduce property taxes, share services By Kevin Redding kevin@tbrnewspapers.com
Through some good old-fashioned teamwork, Suffolk County has a plan to save millions of dollars for its residents. On Monday, July 31, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone (D) revealed the blueprint for SuffolkShare, a new shared services initiative to be utilized among county municipalities with an aim to save a projected $37 million for taxpayers over two years. The 10-point plan emerged out of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s (D) Countywide Shared Services Initiative, a state project signed into law this year that requires county, town and village officials to vote on a plan to reduce property taxes through efficiency, collaboration and combining services in order to “eliminate duplicative” ones. Cuomo’s law called for the county to submit its localized plan to the Legislature by Aug. 1 and the finalized version of the plan must be voted on by the Suffolk Shared Services Panel — made up of town supervisors, village mayors and the county executive — by Sept. 15. “SuffolkShare will be a statewide model for how municipalities can work together and save money for their residents without sacrificing the quality of services they have come to expect,” Bellone said. “Governor Cuomo deserves credit for putting local governments in charge of their own destiny and figuring out how best to deliver true efficiencies among themselves. I want to thank our towns and villages for their extraordinary work and partnership in helping to produce this draft plan, and I look forward to working with the County Legislature to solicit their ideas and feedback as we move forward in this historic process.” Under SuffolkShare, officials assembled in the last few months a laundry list of ideas to bring governments together and save county green. Among the 10 concepts are a virtual municipal service store will be created to provide a web menu of services and assets; a virtual intermunicipal chat room, dubbed MuniChat, will be developed for representatives to brainstorm ideas and share information; services like tree removal, pumpout boat services, graffiti removal, truck washing, recycling and website development will be offered; and an Inter-County Project Program as well as an Office of Intermunicipal Coordination. According to the Shared Services Initiative page on the New York State website, property tax is the largest tax burden to
PoliCe Blotter
Incidents and arrests Aug. 2–8 Police house call
During a routine probation visit to the home of a 23-year-old man living on Comerford Street in Port Jefferson Station Aug. 2, the man possessed Xanax and oxycodone without a valid prescription for either, according to police. He was arrested and charged with two counts of seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.
Knife point
File photo
Suffolk County executive Steve Bellone announced a plan to reduced property taxes in the county. taxpayers, with the average resident paying “2.5 times more in property taxes than in income taxes.” “The goal of this new initiative is to save taxpayers money by identifying collaborative opportunities for shared services between as many local governments as possible,” the site said. Suffolk Deputy County Executive Jon Kaiman said SuffolkShare is a win-win not just for taxpayers but for governments that are now encouraged to put aside their differences. “This initiative is a great opportunity to engage our local municipal leaders and learn from each other,” Kaiman said. “We all want to find the best practices, most efficient methods, and the most cost-effective ways to provide services. This process will get this done and we will do it together.” Municipalities will receive one-time matching funds from the state if the finalized plan is approved in September. There will be three Suffolk County-required public hearings taking place throughout the month to get public input across different municipalities. The Town of Brookhaven is also a finalist in the running for a $20 million grant as part of the state’s Municipal Consolidation and Efficiency Competition, which has a similar stated goal of reducing property taxes.
LEGALS Notice of formation of Total Source Bookkeeping LLC. Arts of Org. filed with Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 6/19/2017. Office location: Suffolk Coun-
ty. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of the process to the LLC: 7 Domino Way,
Centereach, NY 11720. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. 468 7/27 6x tmc
A 54-year-old man from Rocky Point threatened another male at a beach on Harbor Beach Road in Mount Sinai by placing a knife to the man’s stomach Aug. 6, according to police. He was arrested and charged with second-degree menacing.
Shopping in disguise
At T.J. Maxx on Route 25A in Selden at about 4:30 p.m. July 28, a 23-year-old woman from Miller Place was caught shoplifting and was asked to produce identification, according to police. It was later discovered the identification she produced not only belonged to someone else but was also stolen, according to police. The woman was arrested Aug. 8 in Miller Place and charged with second-degree criminal impersonation and fifth-degree criminal possession of stolen property.
Drug bust
A 35-year-old man from Central Islip possessed heroin with the intention of selling it at 7-Eleven on Mooney Pond Road in Selden at about 3 p.m. Aug. 5, according to police. At a home on Mooney Pond Road in Selden, police later discovered wax packaging envelopes and a scale, police said. He was arrested and charged with thirddegree criminal possession of a controlled substance, two counts of second-degree criminal use of drug paraphernalia, criminal possession of a controlled substance/ narcotic drug, loitering for the purpose of using a controlled substance and criminal sale of a controlled substance.
Key crime
The side of a 2013 Acura was keyed while it was parked outside of a home on Olympia Street in Port Jefferson Station at about 8 a.m. Aug. 6, according to police.
What brings you here?
Near the intersection of Jay Road and Tree Road in Centereach at about 7 p.m. Aug. 2, a 43-year-old man from Calverton was at the location, which is an area of frequent drug use, with the intent to purchase heroin, according to police. He was arrested and charged with loitering for the purpose of using a controlled substance.
Zoned out
At about 7:30 p.m. Aug. 4, a 19-yearold man from Shirley at AutoZone on Middle Country Road in Selden possessed oxycodone, marijuana and a plastic bag containing heroin with the intent to sell it, according to police. He left the location driving a 2016 Nissan and was instructed to stop by a marked police car with sirens and lights activated and failed to do so while driving on Route 25 in Selden, according to police. The driver swerved in and out of traffic at a high rate of speed, drove west in the eastbound lanes, ran a stop light at the intersection of Bluepoint Road and caused a crash between other vehicles and failed to stop, according to police. He later tried to flee officers on foot, police said. He was arrested and charged with fourth-degree criminal possession of a narcotic drug, reckless driving, second-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, leaving the scene of an accident with property damage and third-degree fleeing an officer in a motor vehicle.
Boating bother
A 2015 Mercedes was damaged while it was parked at the Brookhaven Town Marina in Port Jefferson at about 8 a.m. July 30, according to police. It was reported Aug. 7.
Crack down
Near the intersection of Washburn Street and Lake Grove Boulevard in Centereach, a 46-year-old man from Selden seated in the driver’s seat of a 2006 Ford at about 7:30 p.m. Aug. 4 possessed crack cocaine, according to police. He was arrested and charged with loitering for the purpose of unlawful use of a controlled substance. — Compiled By Alex petRoSKi
Correction A police blotter item entitled “Skimming off the top,” which appeared in the Aug. 3 edition of several Times Beacon Record Newspapers, misidentified an incident as occurring at Ruvo East restaurant and bar in Port Jefferson, though it actually occurred at Ruvo located in Greenlawn. We regret the error.