Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone says he’ll have to cut county health services by nearly $20 million without additional federal coronavirus relief. Senate Republicans say they plan to vote on a nominee to replace late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, instead of considering house Democrat's pandemic relief bill.
Bellone says the county’s budget shortfall of $1.5 billion over the next three years. He says without funding, mental health services for families, food banks and substance use programs will take the brunt of the cuts.
"It needs to get done as quickly as possible," Bellone said. "We have been rolling out the cuts that we have been talking about for four months now because I believe that they will undermine our recovery from this.”
Bellone is expected to release his proposed budget in October. He says Suffolk County needs nearly $400 million in federal relief this year to avoid cuts and another $650 million the following year, if reduced tax revenues and increased expenses continue. Republicans say county finances were mismanaged even before the pandemic.
