Skelos sworn in for 16th senate term

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On Wednesday, Jan. 7, Senator Dean Skelos was sworn in for his 16th term in the senate and was also elected Majority Leader by the Republican caucus.

Skelos soundly defeated Democratic challenger Patrick Gillespie in November, earning himself another term in the state capital. He was also renamed Majority Leader, a title he held last year with Democratic Senator Jeffrey Klein from the Bronx. Skelos and Klein shared the title after five Democrats created the Independent Democratic Congress and carved out the majority the Democrats had in the senate.

“We worked very closely with the Independent Democratic Congress [in the last term], and we intend to do so again,” Skelos told the Herald. “We’ve had four good years of bipartisan work with the governor and the assembly. We’ve stayed in our 2 percent tax cap, cut taxes and created jobs. I’d like to continue on that.”

In the short term, Skelos said he’d like to get to work tax cuts and helping the private sector create more jobs in the state. “We should look at corporate tax to make it more attractive for businesses to stay here,” Skelos said. “We’ve been losing our citizens and businesses to other states, and that needs to stop.”

Further into the term, Skelos said he wants to make infrastructure improvements and job creation priorities. He cited $5 billion that the state has from various settlements with banks that Skelos would like to see put toward infrastructure improvements. Skelos said he wants to see the work create jobs — larger projects like improved sewer systems and repairing bridges, not just repaving roads.

“We have a problem with our Bay Park sewer system,” he said. “That has to be made state of the art, and we have to look at an outflow pipe into the ocean.”

Skelos said the state has been turning to local officials for infrastructure project suggestions, and that he has personally spoken to County Executives Ed Mangano and Steve Bellone. The state is also talking to the towns for ideas.

“We want them to come forward with projects that are geared towards economic development,” said Skelos. “Not just repaving a road. Regular repair is the responsibility of the local government, but major infrastructure is where we could be helpful.”