Councilman: Town Of Islip Facing $26 Million Deficit
ISLIP, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- A budget crisis is looming in Suffolk County.
The Town of Islip is facing a $26 million budget deficit, according to a report expected to be released by the budget task force Thursday.
WCBS 880's Mike Xirinachs reports
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The task force, led by Councilman Steve Flotteron, has determined the town is facing a financial crisis caused by years of "fiscal mismanagement and wasteful spending."
For example, Flotteron said thousands of dollars were spent annually on detailing street sweepers and vacuum trucks. The trucks would apparently be hand-washed, waxed and then sent back out onto the streets to get dirty all over again.
To increase revenue, Flotteron suggests going after scofflaws.
"There's over 12,000 tickets that haven't been collected on," Flotteron said. "There's well over a million dollars of fines that are just sitting in drawers."
Flotteron said Islip officials "kicked the can down the road" for years, failing to deal with the budget problems.
"Now the can is resting at our feet and we're going to be dealing with," Flotteron said, adding many tough decisions lay ahead.
