Turning to the hard work of governing

After an intense local election, with campaigning in some instances having little to do with specific plans for managing Long Island's nexus of counties and towns, there's a deep-seated hope that those elected will do the hard work of governing.

Nassau and Suffolk counties share many of the same challenges and needs, but each also has its own homegrown issues. Both newly reelected Nassau County Executive Bruce A. Blakeman and Suffolk County Executive Edward P. Romaine, whose current term ends in 2027, know the specifics. The legislatures and the town supervisors, all posts dominated by incumbents and most of them Republican, do, too.

Affordability and quality of life are the main threads that ran through all of these campaigns. But both counties will face significant challenges — particularly in terms of their fiscal health — in the months and years ahead.

Payroll costs — mostly for health care and pensions — are spiking in both counties. The sales tax revenue that fuels the system is very vulnerable to a slowing economy. Elected officials will need to find ways to maintain services, reduce headcount and grow revenue.

They must deliver on promoting economic development and adding housing. And they must take the lead on ensuring the Island's electric grid is reliable, affordable and environmentally beneficial. That will require more solar and offshore wind projects and safe battery storage systems to make it all possible.

Last week, the Suffolk Legislature passed Romaine's $4.3 billion budget, which stays within the tax cap but only because it changes how residents are billed for sewer district costs. In Nassau, the legislature just passed Blakeman's $4.4 billion budget, which keeps the tax levy flat but uses a large portion of reserves.

What's clear from both of those budgets is that our county leaders must continue to reach for new revenue streams. New economic development, housing and opportunities for business and job growth are key.

Each county has a "Hub" with dozens of acres of empty asphalt. Both county executives must move forward with developing those spaces. The Nassau Hub in Uniondale still awaits a "Plan B" after Las Vegas Sands pulled out of the casino licensing process; Blakeman must make that a top priority. 

In Suffolk, the north side of the Ronkonkoma Hub is a bustling mixed-use development with housing, restaurants and more. To the south, it's desolate. Romaine should move plans there forward, and make good use of the infrastructure dollars the state has promised. But that'll require the support and involvement of the Town of Islip, whose council next year also will have a new dynamic, with members who haven't embraced such development opportunities previously. For longtime and newly elected officials alike, revitalizing that land and upgrading Long Island MacArthur Airport are important.

Blakeman, who spent much of his first term fighting culture wars, never pledged that he would fulfill his new term. Now, just days after his win with 56% of the vote, Blakeman appears tempted by a bigger title and spotlight, acknowledging  that he's "seriously considering" a run for governor, which would divide his attention from day one. Meanwhile, Rep. Elise Stefanik, an upstate Republican, announced her candidacy on Friday, so he will need to decide quickly. While Blakeman said he'd continue to "have my finger on the pulse of everything," Nassau's residents must come first.

Each county also has its own particular tasks ahead. Blakeman can start by disbursing much more of the nearly $100 million in opioid settlement funds that disappointingly remain unspent. He can fulfill his initial campaign promise to fix the broken tax assessment system, and he should appoint skilled, experienced individuals to the Nassau University Medical Center and Metropolitan Transportation Authority boards. And he can tackle the county's aging infrastructure by building a public database of the sewers, pipes and roads to determine what needs fixing first.

In Suffolk, Romaine, in partnership with local lawmakers, including LD 1's newcomer, should see through the promising working waterfronts legislation he signed in September. That starts with establishing the committee that will oversee the program and its chosen properties. Protecting water quality and expanding sewers are always priorities. And continuing to address Suffolk's many transportation needs, including public transit improvements and road upgrades, remains necessary, too.

Perhaps most significantly, Blakeman's reelection represents a renewed opportunity for the two county executives to work together on regionwide priorities. Seeing the two of them together has been unfortunately rare. Most of Long Island's needs, from affordability and transportation to public safety and the environment, don't stop at the Nassau-Suffolk border. When Blakeman and Romaine do join forces, as they have done on issues like hurricane preparedness, they are stronger together. They should expand those efforts, especially when it comes to seeking their fair share of transportation funding and tackling the Island's massive solid waste problem. 

The leaders of both Suffolk and Nassau now have the chance to work together to help the region thrive. The more they coordinate, and focus on the governing, the better off residents will be.