Politics & Government

Lindsay's Last Run for the Legislature

Presiding Officer Bill Lindsay campaigns for sixth full term as Legislator on record of successful county and district improvement projects.

In Bill Lindsay’s run to represent Suffolk’s 8th Legislative District for a sixth and final term, the Legislature’s presiding officer lists a revamped county ethics code and an ongoing Montauk Highway improvement project among his top accomplishments.

In order to stake claim to a sixth two-year term-the most allowed under term limits-Lindsay, a Democrat, will first need to beat back a challenge from Republican , a political newcomer, to represent the district encompassing Bayport, Bohemia, Holbrook, Sayville, West Sayville, Oakdale and parts of Ronkonkoma and Holtsville.

The Legislature passed the new ethics code, which Lindsay said is possibly the strictest in New York State, in October. It takes effect Jan. 1, 2012.

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“This is so important because ethics is the conscience of government,” Lindsay said. “It keeps everyone on the straight and narrow, it’s important in preventing scandals and corruption.”

Lindsay, a Holbrook resident, said he has accomplished “an awful lot” in his legislative tenure, but is eager to delve into some recently introduced capital programs and begin planning a sewage project. The Legislature awaits findings from a sewage study they authorized of the Sayville corridor.  A new sewage system will be beneficial to local businesses, Lindsay said.

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“Sewage is a major issue and it’s one of the projects I’m anxious to see recommended because it’s key to economic development,” he said. “Then we’ll have the challenge of seeing where to get the money to finance it.”

Finances are a pertinent matter of concern for the longtime legislator, who called the county’s proposed 2012 budget “draconian.”

“This is the worst budget I’ve ever seen,” said Lindsay, who was first elected to the Legislature in 2001 to fill the unexpired term of current County Executive Steve Levy, who was elected to the New York State Assembly at the time. “I think we did a yeoman’s job piecing it back together to give the new county executive some breathing room when we move into 2012."

Lindsay noted the Legislature didn’t approve Levy’s proposed budget, which called for the layoff of 710 employees.

“We didn’t agree with it because it would’ve hurt our ability to provide what we think are very vital services to our citizens,” he said. “We changed a lot of those [Levy’s] priorities, and there’s still some layoffs, but nowhere near that original number.”

Several district improvement projects have been introduced and completed on Lindsay’s watch.  A program to re-do Montauk Highway, including sidewalk repavement and storm drain remediation is finally entering its last phase after nearly a decade.

“It really started in Bayport and moved toward the end of the district to West Sayville, Oakdale; they’re just starting the construction phase there,” Lindsay said.

After what Lindsay called a “long ordeal,” the county purchased a piece of West Sayville property on Cherry Avenue to designate as a county park. The first section of the land, a dog park, was opened to residents in August. Lindsay says there are two more phases of the park project yet to come.


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