Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone met with New York’s Congressional delegation this week to lobby funding for state and local governments in the next round of federal coronavirus assistance. Bellone was made no promises.
Bellone said Long Island is in the "eye of the storm" right now. The pandemic hit the region hard, and the economic impact doesn't look good.
“Obviously, you're talking about much more, much more painful steps and measures that would have to be taken and whether those steps need to be taken will be determined to a great extent by what happens at the federal level,” Bellone said.
Senate Republicans are not likely to include any fundings for state or local governments in their version of any federal stimulus package.
Since returning, one of the only solutions Bellone has offered in response to the $1.5 billion budget shortfall over the next year is “gutting or hollowing out” of local government. Advocates have said lay offs and service reductions will be felt even more during the pandemic.
