Steve Levy is a graduate of Sachem High School, Stony Brook University (Magna Cum Laude), and St. John's University Law School. In 1985, Steve Levy was elected to the Suffolk County Legislature at age 26 -- the beginning of a 15-year tenure as a member of that body. During this time he served as Chairman of the Ways & Means Committee and as Deputy Presiding Officer. He left the Suffolk Legislature after 2000, when he was elected a member of the New York State Assembly. In November 2003, Steve Levy was elected as Suffolk County's seventh County Executive, and was re-elected to that office in 2007, receiving 96 percent of the vote.
Nearly 25 years ago, Steve Levy ran on a simple message: controlling taxes and spending must be the highest priority.
In his first year in office as a legislator (1986), Steve initiated a successful lawsuit against the county for passing a budget that illegally pierced Suffolk's spending caps setting the tone for a quarter-century as a fiscal watchdog.
Since then, through economic boom and bust, in Hauppauge, in Albany, and again in Hauppauge as County Executive, Steve Levy has been the consistent voice of the common taxpayer who expects government to provide essential services, but in a cost-efficient manner with an eye toward the bottom line.
Upon taking office as County Executive, Steve pulled the county out of a $238 million projected deficit, crafting the largest budget restructuring plan in the county's history. From day one, Steve reduced unnecessary travel, took away county cars given out as political perks, and reduced upper management salaries including his own. Over six years, Steve has taken more than $70,000 less in salary entitled to him by statute, to set an example from the top down.
Steve Levy has presented six consecutive budgets, each with a General Fund tax freeze or tax cut—including three budgets with lower spending than the previous year's, something virtually unheard of in municipal government on any level.
His prudent, conservative fiscal management has earned Suffolk County six bond rating increases; and even through the difficult financial times of the last two years, the county has maintained its historically high ratings.
While keeping an eye on the bottom line, Steve Levy recognizes that government can and must provide its vital services—public safety, health care, social services, and environmental protection. Under Steve's leadership, Suffolk has been recognized fifty times with Innovation Awards by the National Association of Counties for enhancing and improving the services it offers.
By reorganizing the police department, civilianizing non-public safety positions that were being performed by officers, and redeploying sworn personnel into patrol functions, total crime in Suffolk County dropped by more than 20 percent since Steve took office.
By revitalizing a dormant and scandal-ridden open space program, land preservation in Suffolk under Steve's leadership reached new heights—preserving nearly 6,000 acres and 65 farms.
By working cooperatively with towns and villages, affordable and workforce housing under Steve's leadership was reinvigorated, leading to the construction of several hundred affordable homes in Suffolk, with thousands in the pipeline. Steve's efforts on affordable housing were recognized by the federal government in 2006 with the prestigious Woodson Award.
Whether cutting spending, curbing taxes, or managing resources to improve services, Steve Levy's philosophy is recognized daily by the large engraved sign which greets staff and visitors to the Suffolk County Executive's offices each day: We Work For You.
