By HERALD STAFF
: tackling the issue of real property taxes. Skelos also spoke of the need to continue the fight for Long Island's "fair share," even as he takes on the problems of other regions of the state, which he said he has been visiting in recent weeks.
Skelos said he was proud of being elected to the Senate's leadership post. Although he described his style as "less extroverted" than that of longtime former majority leader Joseph Bruno, who stepped down in June and retired from the Senate in July, Skelos expressed confidence that his style would develop over time, and said he expects that the majority leadership "will progress effectively as the years go on."
Skelos spoke of his need to represent both the 9th district, which comprises southwestern Nassau County, from Franklin Square to Long Beach and Inwood to Baldwin, and the rest of the state. In many areas, specifically upstate, he said, there's a real need for revitalization and job creation.
The MTA
In response to a question about the prospect of two additional fare increases on the Long Island Rail Road, buses and subways and higher tolls on Metropolitan Transportation Authority bridges and tunnels, Skelos said that in a budget of the MTA's size -- $10 billion -- "there's certainly room for economies." He described the MTA as a "bloated bureaucracy that, unfortunately, we have little control over."
Skelos suggested that to cut costs, the MTA might consider incentives for employees to retire early, and examine its bidding processes. As for looking at the agency's books, Skelos said the state comptroller would have the main responsibility for such an audit, but that the Legislature's Investigations Committee could subpoena them. "I'd have no problem with us doing that or the corporation committee doing that," he said.
He explained that with the economy the way it is, certain capital expansion projects would inevitably be delayed, but not the long-awaited East Side access project, which is scheduled to bring some LIRR trains into Grand Central terminal by 2014.
Education funding
Skelos said that it is important for state leaders to continue to provide strong financial support to school districts. Proper funding is important, he said, but it isn't the only way to boost student achievement. Districts need strong leadership, he added, and that trickles down to the classroom.
He cited the Elmont School District, which is a lower-wealth community whose students speak more than 50 languages, yet has very strong academics. He said that parents are strongly encouraged by school officials to be a part of their child's education, and that has paid off.
Skelos said that the state aid formula ensures that poorer districts throughout the state will receive solid funding. He also said the state Legislature would continue to explore the possibility of a school tax cap. He expects this topic to come up during the August legislative session, and said it would likely pass in the Senate.
But, Skelos said, the tax cap is not a solution that can work on its own. The state must provide relief for school districts and offer incentives for the consolidation of services. "The cap alone, you need more than that," he said.
Member items
Skelos said that as a senator, he receives $3 million to $3.5 million for discretionary spending, which is funded by the state budget, and that in his new position he expects to receive the same amount. These funds, available to each member of the Senate and Assembly, are earmarked for various projects in their districts, including capital projects and to support local not-for-profit groups.
"Really, the member items I receive have been similar to others within my delegation," Skelos said, referring to the Senate's Long Island Republicans. "As a delegation, we've been able to bring in hundreds of millions of dollars in economic development money. We just brought in $25 million to help Hofstra start a medical school, which I think is going to be great. We started a homeland security center with funding that has been obtained from the Senate majority members from Long Island. A HELP" -- a Home Ownership and Economic Stabilization for Long Island Program -- "to help with housing for young people and others that are struggling ... we brought in $31 million that we'll work through the Long Island Housing Partnership. So this is going to continue."
Last year, Skelos and Sen. Charles Fuschillo presented South Nassau Communities Hospital in Oceanside with a $500,000 check to expand its intervention cardiology program, and just last week Skelos and Assemblyman Bob Barra secured $30,000 in state grants for senior citizen programs in Rockville Centre.
How does Skelos plan to disperse his discretionary funds, now that he is responsible not only for his senatorial district, but the entire state? "Obviously I'm going to look to do positive things for the Island, but we're also going to look to do positive things throughout the state," he said. "And Joe [Bruno] did that, too. He did some great things for the capital region, and he's helped turn that around. But I think we have to look at Long Island and all parts of the state. And we're going to do it in an equitable way."
Budget decisions
Another topic addressed by Skelos was the "three men in a room" process of finalizing the state budget. As far as most people know, the budget is decided by the governor, the Assembly speaker and the Senate majority leader.
What actually happens, Skelos explained, is that the Senate and Assembly break down the governor's budget proposal to different subcommittees, which discuss and make budgetary recommendations. Then the governor, speaker and majority leader meet to discuss the budget. Skelos said he feels that these sessions, known as Leaders Meetings, should become joint conference meetings and be open to the public.
"Joint conference committees, when they're in public, they work and you get things done," Skelos said.
"One of the first times we had a budget on time in years was based upon having joint conference committees," he added later.
A general committee for the budget consists of the Assembly speaker, the Senate majority leader, the chairs of both chambers' Finance Committees, and the two minority leaders. Sub-conference committees go over the budget and make recommendations to the general committee, which then decides on the budget.
"[On July 20] I had my first Leaders Meeting in Albany with the governor and the speaker, and I indicated to them that it's my desire to have leader's meetings in the public," Skelos said.
"They said yes, so we'll see," he added.
The consolidation issue
The notion of consolidating special districts was the focus of a report from the Commission on Local Government Efficiency and Competitiveness, which was released by the governor in April.
Several local officials have insisted that consolidating special services offered by sanitation, water and fire districts would cut taxes significantly. For example, County Comptroller Howard Weitzman has pushed for towns to take control of garbage from the numerous sanitary districts across the county.
Skelos appeared skeptical when asked about such a consolidation, especially one involving districts that offer unique services, like the rear-door garbage pickup offered by Sanitary District 1 in the Five Towns.
"For $125 more a year, they are getting their garbage picked up in the backyard, brought to the front and brought back," Skelos said. "I would think most of those people would want to continue to have that service.
"A lot of the expenses are based on the services that they are getting," he added. "If districts want to eliminate certain services or consolidate with others they can do it -- they have the option to turn it over to the Town of Hempstead for services. My guess is that most people are not going to want to give up the additional services that they are getting.
Skelos noted that money can be saved by sharing services, but the consolidation of districts should not be mandated. Instead, decisions on consolidation should be left up to the residents of special districts, school districts and municipalities, he said.
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