Suffolk County Legislature elections overview

A host of generational issues confront Suffolk County voters as they make their choices for all 18 members of the legislature.

Suffolk is seeking to preserve its commercial waterfront, confront rising sea levels, convince homeowners to use grants to convert aging septic systems to more advanced ones, and support building more housing while protecting its open spaces. All while holding tax increases as costs for payroll, health care and pensions steadily rise.

Suffolk also confronts the challenge of developing a regional approach to disposing of solid waste and recycling as it’s become clearer that a patchwork of town-by-town efforts is not sufficient. And while county candidates acknowledge the demands for housing and speak of county loans for first-time homebuyers and installing sewage systems and roadwork to facilitate development, the reality is that development is primarily a town and village responsibility. Meantime, county involvement with improvements to the Hub area around Long Island MacArthur Airport to make it a better economic driver always remains on the table.

There is also a child sex trafficking problem that law enforcement says must be confronted head-on. That will require county lawmakers to find innovate ways to attack the problem.

Suffolk’s more than 1,000 miles of vital coastline continue to generate significant income for the county through recreational and commercial uses. The county took a big step forward and voters should ask those running how they will follow through on the creation of a waterfront preservation panel, who will be the members and finding new revenue streams that will be needed beyond the $9.5 million already allotted in the capital plan.

Although Republicans have a supermajority in the legislature, County Executive Edward P. Romaine’s nonpartisan governing style and efforts to partner with all legislators undergird a consensus on moving the county forward.

Newsday Opinion’s endorsements in the legislative races are based on issues as we assess whether candidates, regardless of party, have the skills and experience to provide independent, constructive oversight of Suffolk County.