By Judy Rattner and Mike Russo
Browne is a Republican. Democrats currently hold a 10-9 majority in the Legislature.
The 5th District encompasses Baldwin, Rockville Centre, Lakeview and Freeport.
Browne, a former Manhattan assistant district attorney who is now in private practice in Melville, announced his candidacy on the steps of Rockville Centre Village Hall, with fellow Republicans Sen. Dean Skelos and Assemblyman Bob Barra, as well as about 30 supporters, in attendance.
Having run unsuccessfully for the seat in 2007, Browne said he would like to become a more effective advocate for local taxpayers, who are being asked to pay more and more and in return will be getting less and less. "If you're going to have a county government to which people pay taxes, you have to provide basic services," Browne said, citing recent reports that the county may suspend street sweeping on Grand Avenue in Baldwin and mowing along Peninsula Boulevard in Rockville Centre. "It really is an outrage to think that those are the things we can't do."
Skelos recalled that the first time he ran for the state Senate, he lost, but the experience taught him a lot and helped make him a better person. Skelos said that Scannell has had his chance, and with the county in dire straits, it's time for a change.
"The person who's going to watch your nickel, and every penny, is Chris Browne," said Skelos. "He represents the best, not only of Rockville Centre, but of family and of commitment to public service."
In an interview with the Herald on Feb. 27, Browne described Scannell as an "absentee legislator" on important issues facing both the district and the county. He added that the Legislature's Democratic majority is extremely compliant to County Executive Tom Suozzi's administration.
"I don't know where [Scannell] stands on any of the issues," said Browne, referring to hot-button topics such as property taxes and the recently approved Nassau tax on home-heating oil. "It's time for a person who will be a little more aggressive in dealing with the day-to-day local needs and address some of the bigger issues. Our local governments are in deep difficulties. I don't think we've had effective, creative representation at the local level to address these seemingly intractable issues."
Browne attended Hewitt Elementary School and South Side Middle School in Rockville Centre before continuing his education at Regis High School in Manhattan, Holy Cross and Fordham Law School. His wife, Lauren, also grew up in Rockville Centre, and all four of their 16-month-old son Joseph's grandparents still live in the village.
Browne said that the Suozzi administration is running the county in much the same way as Suozzi's predecessor, Republican Thomas Gulotta. The property assessment system is still "broken," Browne said, the county is borrowing to pay tax certiorari judgments, and the county patronage and labor costs are out of control.
If elected, Browne said, he would support reasonable ways to downsize the county government with the least amount of pain. Calling it a "gravy train" that has become unsustainable, he said the county will have to come to terms with changing times. "Our problems can't be papered over by throwing more money at them," Browne said. "Levels of spending are unlikely to return. You might have to shed some programs and possibly bring them back at a different time in a different way."
He said he would work to establish real partnerships with the state and the Town of Hempstead, and would encourage local civic groups to pitch in on a regular basis. In the long run, Browne said, the county will have to face the problem of young people moving off Long Island in order to seek a better quality of life elsewhere.
"The question is, are the benefits of Long Island enough to keep people in a place where they have to pay a tax to have their oil delivered?" Browne asked. "I feel like the hard-working people of the community have forked over a lot of their incomes. The question is, what are we getting in return? Let's protect the interests of the average taxpayer before we protect unions, law firms and special interests. [I would] become an effective voice, an advocate for the taxpayers."
Comments about this story? RVCeditor@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 208.
