Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone gave his annual State of the County Speech on Wednesday. He discussed how to improve the county government and handle the MS-13 gang.
Bellone called for the return of the Suffolk Charter Review Board to improve reform, ethics and efficiency, following Governor Cuomo’s call for local governments to share services.
Duwayne Gregory, presiding officer of the county legislature, says legislators removed the Charter Review Board in 2014.
“But if there is a need for it, certainly there is the ability to institute a commission to revise the charter. I’m interested to see what the charter commission proposal he’s offering and what reforms will come out of it.”
And SuffolkSTAT, a computer database that keeps track of the effectiveness of county operations, will be expanded to social services, public works and health services.
Bellone also emphasized the drop in overall crime in 2017, but says Suffolk Police remain focused on the violent MS-13 gang.